Curried Butternut Squash And Lentil Stew

Ingredients

• 1 onion - small dice
  2 large carrots - peeled, small dice
  3 cloves garlic - minced
  1 t. ginger - minced
  1 T. tomato paste
  1 T. curry powder
  1/2 c. dry lentils
  2 1/2 c. vegetable broth
  1 butternut squash - peeled, medium dice
  2 Fuji apples - medium dice (I left my skin on)
  2 c. fresh spinach leaves
  pinch cayenne pepper
  salt and pepper as needed
  2 T. olive oil
  
  
  Instructions

  • 1
    In a large pot heat the oil to medium high heat. Add the onions and carrots and cover with a lid. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent. Keeping the lid on will sweat the vegetables, making them tender without caramelizing!
  • 2
    Add the ginger, garlic, tomato paste, curry powder, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • 3
    Add the lentils and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes.
  • 4
    Add the apples and squash, stir, and cover/simmer for 20 minutes or until fork tender. I added about 1/4 c. more broth after adding the apples/squash.
  • 5
    Taste for seasoning. I added a pinch of cayenne for spice and some more salt. Before serving, stir in the spinach until wilted.
  • 6
    Enjoy!!!

Vegan Pizza

Everybody loves pizza and Natalie's mom used to make a vegan pizza every Friday night, so we decided that starting this week we will carry forward that tradition.

Ingredients:

Crust - If you are so inclined you can make your own dough from scratch or just purchase a premade crust.  With out limited time, we are going with premade crust for now.  Recommended brands are Boboli and Molenaros (Costco). Trader Joes also sells whole wheat pizza dough.

Sauce - Pesto, Marinera (you can combine both together or do just one or the other)
Pesto is not inherently vegan so you may need to see if you can find a store-bought one at a store like Whole Foods or you could make avocado pesto from scratch like we plan to do.

Toppings - Of course pizza lends itself to endless combinations resulting in several countless culinary experiences.  So feel free to add whatever whole food, vegan toppings you want.  But what follows is the Allen family favorite toppings.

- Non-Dairy Cheese (put down a thin layer on top of the crust then sprinkle a little on top when you've placed all the toppings)
- Red bell pepper
- Onion (thinly sliced)
- Tomato (sliced)
- Pine nuts
- Arugala (put on after the pizza is finished baking)

Whole Wheat Vegan Waffles

YUM. I am a fan of these waffles. 

The bananas and raspberries weren't bad either.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp sugar (turbinado, coconut sugar, xylitol, or maple syrup)
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 cup almond milk

Instructions

1. Preheat waffle iron to your desired setting 
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, flaxseed, baking powder, sugar, salt). 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (oil, almond milk). 
4. Pour wet ingredients in dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over stir!
5. Pour batter onto waffle iron (I use about 1/4 - 1/3 cup) and cook until golden brown. 
6. Enjoy!

*Makes 3-4 Servings

**Any extra waffles can easily be frozen and used later on.

Veggie Pasta

This is super easy and we're posting it more as an example of how you can incorporate more veggies into a dish to make it more filling and healthy.  It's also a good one to make in bulk and then store in the fridge for quick meals later.


Ingredients:

8 oz of Whole Wheat Pasta (any kind you like)
2 Cups Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
1 whole Zucchini (chopped)
1 whole Yellow Squash (chopped)

Directions:

- Cook pasta in boiling water with a little salt and a drop of olive oil
- While pasta is cooking, chop up zucchini and squash and cook with sauce in a large sauce pan on med-low heat.  Cook until veggies are soft but not soggy. 10-15 minutes
- Drain pasta noodles and mix them into the sauce.
- Divide and serve

Serves 4

Creamy African Stew

Creamy African Stew

(Natalie's Favorite Stew)

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
• 2 Each Onions, sliced in half rings
• 1 Each Carrots, diced
• 3 Each Celery, diced
• 2 Teaspoons Garlic, minced
• 2 Each Sweet Potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 Cups Vegetable Broth, low sodium
• 28 Ounces Canned Diced Tomatoes
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 Cup Chunky Natural Peanut Butter
• 8 Ounces Coconut Milk
• 15 Ounces Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed

Preparation

1. Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch chunks
2. Peel and dice carrots and celery
3. Slice onions into half rings
4. Add the vegetables and remaining ingredients to a pot and cook over high heat until bubbly. Turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.

Yields: 7 Servings (1.5 Cup Servings)