Cauliflower Gnocchi – 2 Ways

October 3, 2018December 6, 2018 - admin

When Trader Joe’s came out with their cauliflower gnocchi, this Italian was definitely skeptical. I mean, how could cauliflower have the same dense, doughy texture as their potato ancestors? Trader Joe’s was also on a bit of a cauliflower kick – cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower fried rice, riced cauliflower stuffing, and now cauliflower gnocchi?

However, when TJ’s comes out with something new, it’s almost always on my next grocery list. When I tried these gnocchi the first time, they totally and completely blew me away. These little pillows are chewy, retain their shape, and have just the perfect amount of “squeech” when you bit into them.

These gnocchi are in my regular dinner rotation because the topping options are endless. I have compiled two simple ways to turn these into a quick meal. Just follow the formula of sauce + beans + veggies, and don’t forget the sprinkle of nutritional yeast!

Red Sauce + Cannellini Beans + Spinach

Pesto + Cannellini Beans + Tomatoes + Asparagus + Spinach

Don’t be afraid to get creative with your veggies. I usually use the veggies I already have in my fridge, but I will also use frozen peas, edamame, or spinach. For other sauce ideas, you could try vegan alfredo, roasted red pepper, or just some olive oil and garlic.

*Make sure you use the sauté method to warm your gnocchi – add a little bit of olive oil to a pan, and sauté until your gnocchi are lightly browned and thawed.

Have you tried TJ’s cauliflower gnocchi? How do you prepare them?

Kale and Arugula Pesto

September 26, 2018December 6, 2018 - admin

This simple pesto recipe is a good way to rescue your tired-looking greens. Pick any nuts or seeds, throw in some nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and garlic, and you’ve got yourself a quick and delicious spread. Try it on sandwiches or stir it into pasta, farro, or grain bowls.

I have a confession – I’ve never been a huge kale lover. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll definitely eat it, but if spinach or mixed greens are a choice for a salad base, I’ll always choose one of those over kale. As one very wise woman puts it, “Kale just multiples in your mouth.” She couldn’t be more right.

You can make pesto with just about anything, so don’t feel confined to kale and arugula. I just chose these two greens because those were the wilty greens in my fridge. I used sunflower seeds this time, but you can choose any nuts or seeds you want. I’ve made pesto with almonds, pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, cashews, and hemp seeds, and every variation has turned out great.

The measurements don’t need to be exact, so just start dumping into your food processor. If you are trying to ward off vampires, throw in more garlic. If you have a lot of tired-looking greens, throw them all in; you don’t have to stick to just two cups of greens. If you prefer a more tangy sauce, juice an extra lemon. You can also mix and match your nuts and seeds. I promise you – it’s pretty hard to mess up pesto!

I used chickpea pasta for my protein, but you can also throw in some chickpeas or cannellini beans if you prefer to use regular pasta or zoodles. Some other ideas to beef up your meal are roasted tomatoes, asparagus, peas, sundried tomatoes, or zucchini.

Remember, don’t feel confined to these ingredients. Find something green, add some seeds/nuts, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast, and BAM, you’ve got yourself some pesto.

Izzy wanted you to know that this pesto smells delicious.

What’s your favorite pesto variation?

Kale and Arugula Pesto

This simple pesto recipe is a good way to rescue any tired-looking greens. Pick any nuts or seeds, throw in some nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and garlic, and you’ve got yourself a quick and delicious spread. Try it on sandwiches or stir it into pasta, farro, or bowls.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 c kale
1 c arugula
¼ c sunflower seeds or any nut
¼ c nutritional yeast
1 T olive oil or water + more to thin
2 cloves garlic
2 T lemon juice about 2 small lemons
¼ t each salt and pepper

Instructions

Instructions:

Add everything to a food processor and give it a whirl.
If it’s a little too thick, add more oil or water.

Quinoa, Corn, and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

September 22, 2018December 6, 2018 - admin

This dump-and-go recipe is an easy weeknight meal that you can prep ahead of time. Even self-proclaimed pepper haters will enjoy this dish!

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a big meal prepper. If I’m not able to prep all my week’s meals on the weekend, I make sure I have a really simple meal to throw together after work. This dish has just six ingredients plus some spices, and you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry. I always forget how easy stuffed peppers are to make!

Start by preheating your oven to 375^oF. Cut the peppers in half and discard the seeds. Microwave the peppers for about 5 minutes, or until they start to get squishy. Let them sit in the microwave until you’re ready to stuff them. This step will speed up your cooking time.

Add all remaining ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. If the mix appears too wet, add a little more quinoa. If you really love corn, add more corn. If you only have kidney beans or white beans, go for it. This recipe is totally flexible, so add whatever you want to the mix!

Add the filling to the peppers. All the remaining filling can fill in the rest of the casserole, and sprinkle with nutritional yeast. If you aren’t ready to eat these quite yet, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake them.

Once you’re ready to bake, cover with foil (remove the plastic wrap if you had these in the refrigerator!), and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the quinoa starts to brown and crisp.

Remove from the oven, place a pepper half with extra filling on a plate, and top with additional salsa, hot sauce, cilantro, avocado, etc. Dig in!