Gluten Free Black Bean Brownie Bites

The  Trendy brownies are all the rage these days. I decided to get creative in the kitchen and experiment with your typical brownie combo. 

These gluten free cuties are packed with fiber and protein and taste just as delectable as the real deal. 

Ingredients: 

1 14 oz. can of black beans; rinsed and drained 

1 c. Cocoa powder

2 tbsp. Baking powder

1/4 c. Sugar 

1/4 c. Pure maple syrup

1/4 c. Almond milk 

1/4 c. Melted coconut oil 

2 eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 mashed ripe banana 

Dark chocolate chips 

Blend until smooth in Vitamix or high speed blender. Add dark chocolate chips. 

Scoop into greased mini muffin pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Enjoy!!

~Crago 

Caprese Tempeh Sandwiches

Tonight I wanted to put two staples in my fridge to good use. This included tempeh and pesto. The sandwich that evolved from this was FANTASTIC. So so good. This is perfect for summer too so win-win. 

Ingredients:

Ciabatta bread

1 pack of tempeh

Balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. minced garlic 

Pink salt

Sliced provolone/mozzarella 

Roma tomatoes 

1 cup (less or more) baby spinach

1 cup (or less or more) pesto 

Oregano; optional 

First slice tempeh in half into two thin slices. Then cut into inch wide slices. Marinate slices in balsamic vinegar and minced garlic for an hour (or more). Bake tempeh in oven for 15- 20 minutes flipping halfway. 

Top with pesto and bake another 5-7 minutes. Assemble sandwiches by topping ciabatta bread with tempeh, more pesto, and mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted. 

Top with spinach and tomato and oregano is desired. 

Bon Appetit! 

-Crago 

Vegan Power Bites

With school done and finally having time to breath, I finally made something I've been meaning to make for a while now. 

The funny part is these "power bites" would've been perfect over the past few chaotic weeks. 

These bites are vegan and gluten free and absolutely delicious!

Oh did I mention simple too?

The simple ingredients go as follows in no particular order....

1-1 1/2 cups of gluten free rolled oats

1 cup of almond butter

1/4 cup of almonds

1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

1/2 cup of cacao nibs

1/2 cup of chia seeds 

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tbsp. agave syrup or honey if not strictly vegan 

Mix all ingredients and then roll into small balls. If ingredients aren't cooperating rub coconut oil on hands before or just add more almond butter. 

Once balls are formed, place in fridge to firm up some more. This is the first time I've made these but I definitely think they turned out great! 

Xoxo,

Crago 

Easy Peasy Meatless Monday

In Ms. Crago's class many things are easy peasy. So being that it is Monday and my classroom duties have kept me away from the blogosphere for some time, I thought I would share two of my simplest yet favorite easy peasy recipes. 

Keeping it real of course, these two recipes will work any day of the week.

First is my go-to BBQ Tempeh Pizza

Just wait..(drool worthy)

Ingredients:

2 packs of premade refrigerated pizza dough

1 c. of Preferred BBQ sauce 

1 pack or tempeh 

1 green bell pepper; chopped

1 yellow pepper; chopped 

1/2 red onion; finely chopped 

1/2 c. Sundried tomatoes 

1/2 c. Cherry tomatoes; sliced in half

1 c. Colby jack cheese

Directions:

Crumble tempeh using cheese grater. Cook tempeh with a little olive oil and BBQ sauce in pan for a few minutes until slightly brown. Bake for a few additional minutes for extra crispness. 

Spread dough and pre-bake according to package. Spread BBQ sauce and all toppings. Top with cheese and extra drizzle of BBQ sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or so until desired crispness. So easy! Also this stuff is seriously addicting..

Next up... The Meatless Meatball Sub..

Ingredients 

Bread of choice (I have used ciabatta and French or Italian) 

Package of veggie meatballs (Morning Star or Gardein are both legit)

Preferred amount of shredded cheese (mozzarella and parm) 

1 can of tomato sauce 

Oregano and garlic powder to taste 

Directions 

Cook meatballs according to package. Slice and open bread. Spread sauce and sprinkle seasonings. Top with Parmesan. Top with sliced meatballs and additional sauce. Top with cheese and any more seasonings. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until crispy. 

These two meatless recipes I've made numerous times and every time has been a success and has taken me less than 20 minutes prep time. I must say they are my all time faves now!  

Just another manic meatless monday..

~Crago 

Spicy Butternut Squash Baked Ziti

So I had this butternut squash laying around and completely had intentions of cooking up some sautéed kale and boom. Done. 

Well then this happened. 

After combining a few key ingredients I was pleasantly surprised with my newest concoction. 

Ingredients:

1 box ziti noodles; cooked

1 butternut squash; diced (about 2 cups); cooked

1 package of Morning Star veggie sausage links; cooked based on package directions; chopped and broken up with a wooden spoon

1/2-1 pack of firm tofu; broken up with Wooden spoon

1-2 c. Baby spinach 

1 tsp. crushed sage 

1/2 tsp. oregano 

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional) 

Salt and pepper to taste 

1/4 c. Almond milk

1 c. Parmesan or Italian cheese mix; shredded (or vegan cheese of choice) 

Bread crumbs (optional) 

Directions:

Take cooked butternut squash and blend in a vitamix or high speed blender with almond milk. 

In a large pot mix butternut squash mixture, cooked and broken up veggie sausage, and noodles. Add broken up tofu and seasonings. Finally add spinach and cook mixture over medium heat for a few more minutes until spinach is slightly wilted. Add half of cheese. Pour mixture in lightly greased glass rectangle pan. Top with more cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. 

Enjoy with a glass of Pinot or whatever suits. The little kick of spice and smooth butternut squash and cheese makes a perfect ziti dish. 

Enjoy!

~Crago 

Soups and Stews with a dash of Laziness

Well hello there. 

After taking a very long nap and avoiding my Bloggerita duties, I have (not one) but two (yes, two) recipes to share. 

Soups, Stews, and Chili's are all fair game during these frigid (got to watch out for that chilly NC air... Haha) months ahead. 

Before I get to all of THAT...

First let me introduce my newest obsession. (Ok obsession is being polite.)

She (as in my new Vitamix) is a total boss and AMAZING. We are true BFF in the kitchen. 

Now I've only broken in my Vitamix a few times (still no name... Victoria seems to have a ring to it? Or Victor....) (obviously I've been watching too much Y&R) 

Anywho, I think I officially broke my Vita in with this first soup I made. 

Recipe for Creamy Vegan Potato....

Ingredients:

1 bag of red skinned potatoes; diced and boiled or cooked however you cook your potatoes

1 c. Cashews; soaked overnight 

3-4 celery stalks; chopped 

1 onion (red or yellow; either will work)

2-3 carrots; peeled and diced

1 small bag frozen peas (or fresh.. I was just using what was on hand)

Handful of Kale (optional) 

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 c. Almond milk

1 carton vegetable broth or stock

1/2 c. Water 

1/2 tsp. thyme 

1/4 tsp. chili powder

Olive oil (a few tablespoons) 

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

First take garlic, chopped celery, onion, and carrot (it appears I actually shredded my carrot. Doesn't really matter...) and toss in a little olive oil and seasonings. Sautée for about 10 minutes until soft. 

Next take soaked cashews and cooked potatoes and almond milk and add to Vitamix or high speed blender. If you don't have a high speed blender (I feel ya. That was me a few weeks ago.) then just break up the blending into small increments. 

Mixture should be creamy and smooth but not too runny.

Next add broth to cooked vegetables in a large pot. Bring to a boil and add potato cashew mixture. Add peas. Simmer for about an additional 15 minutes or so. You can add some flour or corn starch to thicken it up some. 

Top your creamy vegan potato with some toasted sundried tomatoes (sending bacon vibes here!) and voila! Your winter is now complete. 

Now if you're in a Tex-Mex mood hold on, because here's another recipe that is sure to spice things up....

Recipe for Pineapple Black Bean Stew:

Ingredients: 

2 cans of black beans; rinsed and drained

1 c. Butternut squash; pre-cooked (I used the microwave... Go ahead and judge)

1 can of diced pineapple

1 red bell pepper; diced 

1 green bell pepper; diced 

1 red onion; diced

2 jalapeños; de-seeded (is that even a word?) and finely chopped

1 small can of diced green chili's 

1 tbsp. mince garlic 

1/2 c. Vegetable broth 

1 14 oz. Can of diced tomatoes with juice 

3/4 tsp. chipotle adobe seasoning 

1/2 tsp. cumin 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

Sautée all veggies and garlic in olive oil and seasonings for about 10 minutes until soft. 

Add broth, tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 25 minutes until thickening up. Add pineapple near the end. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so and BOOM. Tex Mex/Vegan Stew Amazingness (word?) in one bowl just for you. 

And according to this picture I paired this stuff with some rice and ate in on a plate instead of a bowl.... So basically there is no wrong way to chow down on this "#stewgood" stew. 

There you have it. Two recipes, both warm enough to warm your mind, body, soul and taste-buds in just a few simple steps. 

Did I mention both recipes made enough to feed an army? I really need to find my own personal football team to feed....

Enjoy!

~Crago 

New Year; New Recipes

Oh 2015, you have sneakily arrived yet again. 

I have decided to go into the new year with a positive outlook towards everything including bettering my health and the decisions made in my daily diet. I also want to become more active and put exercise back into my daily routine. 

With school craziness it's been so hard maintaining an active lifestyle and making smart food choices becomes harder and harder too. 

I am determined to overcome these obstacles to get to a healthier (and "better feeling") me. 

For the first time ever (yes, ever) I decided to make a (somewhat) traditional New Year's Day meal. 

This meal consisted of your typical greens (a mix of kale, mustard, and collard), basic black eyed peas, sweet potato mash, corn, limas and (in case the corn before just wasn't enough) slightly sweetened vegan cornbread. 

All of the dinner deets are as follows...

Slightly Sweet Vegan Cornbread,

1 1/2 c. Cornmeal

1 c. Gluten Free Flour or baking mix (I used baking mix that already had xangthum gum)

2 tsp. baking powder

2 c. Almond milk

2 tsp. Apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. Agave syrup or maple syrup

1/4 c. Melted vegan butter

Mix almond milk and vinegar together and let sit for 5 minutes or so. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry and pour in a lightly greased square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes and a golden brown.

Sweet Potato Mash

3 large sweet potatoes

2-3 tbsp. maple syrup 

1/4 c. Orange juice

1/4 c. Almond milk

1 tsp. ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp. ground ginger 

Bake sweet potatoes and scoop out insides. Mash with all other ingredients and pop in the oven in a slightly greased pan until warmed for about 15-20 minutes.

Basic Black Eyed Peas 

1 c. Cooked black eyes peas

1 tbsp. tomato paste 

1/4 c. Vegetable broth

Salt, pepper and oregano to taste

Combine everything and bring to boil and simmer until thickened for about 20 minutes or so.

"Not yo Granny's Greens"  (because just "greens" is not nearly as exciting...)

5 c. Mixed greens; chopped (I used mustard, kale, and collard) 

1/4 c. Veggie broth

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 

Cracked pepper, sea salt, and cracked red pepper to taste 

Toss greens around in pan with oil then covering with broth ever so slightly. Pile on the seasoning and place the lid on for 5 minutes or so. I cook mine until just soft enough but not mushy. These were my favorite part of the meal! 

The rest came out of a can....(just between you and me of course...)

So there you go! Take that 2015...

Here's to a "feelin good" new year!

~Crago