Category Archives: Vegan

Smokey Vegged-Out Chili

January 22, 2015Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Soup, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Smokey Vegged-Out Chili
Recipe Redux – January, 2015: Smoking in the New Year

Looking for a tasty, healthy dish to shake off that winter chill? Nothing heats things up better inside than diving into a hot, spicy bowl of chili. My version here is bursting with veggies and spices. It’s also great served over brown rice, quinoa, millet or any other delicious whole grain. This recipe is for about 10 servings, and, as long as you have an extra-large pan, you can easily double the recipe with success to feed a really large group.

nutrition, veggies, dietitian, nutritionist, black bean, chili, healthy kitchen, recipe, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, chef, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free — Smoky Vegged-out Chili

If you want to keep things mild, do not include the jalapeno seeds. For medium heat, through in about 1/3 the seeds of one jalapeno pepper. Want the painfully hot firehouse-hot chili? Then throw in even more jalapeno seeds and double the cayenne pepper- oh my, lookout!

INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 large White onion, peeled, diced
1 large Orange bell pepper, cored, diced
2 medium Carrots, peeled, diced
1-2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded (or use for extra heat) minced
1 large Corn ear, shucked (about 1 cup kernels)
1 medium Zucchini, diced
1 pound Mushrooms, white or crimini, diced (two 8-ounce packages)
1 tablespoon EACH Chili Powder, Cumin (ground), Smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon EACH Salt, Cayenne pepper, Black pepper
15 ounce container Tomatoes, No sodium added, diced, in liquid
1/2 cup Water
2 1/2 cups Black beans, cooked (or about 1 1/2 cans, rinsed well)
5 tablespoons Sour cream (omit if preparing vegan or dairy-free)
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 medium Avocado, peeled, cored, sliced

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, carrot and jalapeno (plus the seeds if using) and saute over medium-high heat about 6 minutes, or until the onions become translucent. Add the spices and cook another 2 minutes, stirring well. Add the corn, zucchini and mushrooms and cook another 7 minutes, stirring often. Add in the tomatoes with its liquid, black beans and water and bring everything to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 20 minutes.

To garnish, top with 1/2 tablespoon sour cream (if using), a few slices of avocado and 1/6 of the cilantro.

Makes 10 servings.

An InLinkz Link-up

Corn Cakes

November 7, 2014Appetizer, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Salad/Side, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Recipe Redux Sponsored Contest: Libby’s Starter and Sides Contest
Savory Corn Cakes

corn cakes, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare — Savory Corn Cakes – perfect with your next brunch, lunch or dinner

So, one of the perks of writing a food blog is getting opportunities to try out fun, new food products, sometimes even before they hit the store shelves. A perfect example of this happened just this very week when I received a few samples of Libby’s new Vegetable Pouches in the mail to test out in my kitchen.

Packed in adorable, easy to open, shelf-stable pouches, these veggies can even be heated in the microwave right in their own packaging in less than a minute (please, don’t try this with your canned veggies!) The pouch containers are more environmentally friendly than canned counterparts, as they take 75% less energy to produce. Libby’s Vegetable Pouches come in Sliced Carrot, Sweet Corn, Green bean, Sweet Pea and Mixed Vegetable varieties.

Now the challenge posed to all of us Recipe Reduxers was to develop a recipe for a side dish that could be made in ten minutes or less. The first quick food item that popped in my head was pancakes. I went with the Sweet Corn and came up with these delicious, savory Corn Cakes. The Batter is super easy to prepare and you can mix it in advance and then store in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Or, you can cook some up now, some later if you are feeding a small group.

I used cheese with jalapeno to save myself the time and trouble of chopping up a hot pepper. The heat from the jalapeno-spiced Monterey Jack cheese is mild enough to still make this dish kid-friendly. If you want extra heat you can add additional fresh, chopped jalapeno into the batter too. And mix the batter as much and as fast as you like; since there’s no gluten there’s no worry of over-stirring and toughening up your cake batter.

These corn cakes pair great with anything southwestern- chicken, pork or seafood, as well as black beans, salsa, sliced avocado and/or sour cream.

Happy Healthy Eating!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Cornmeal, stone ground
1/2 cup Potato starch flour
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Sugar
1/4 teaspoon each Salt & Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 large Eggs
1 cup Buttermilk
1 package (1 1/2 cups) Libby’s Sweet Corn Kernels, drained
1/2 cup Scallions, chopped
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese with Jalapeno, shredded

PREPARATION
In a medium bowl, mix together the cornmeal, potato starch, baking soda, sugar, salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg and buttermilk. Stir in the Libby’s sweet corn, scallions and cheese. Add the cornmeal mix and stir together well so that batter is fully combined.

On a heated griddle lightly sprayed with olive oil over medium-high heat, drop the batter in 1/4 cup measures onto griddle. Let batter lightly spread to for 3 – 4 inch cakes. Cook corn cakes about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes per side, or until golden.

Serve cakes warm.

Makes about 18 Corn Cakes.
Serving size: 2 Cakes.

I received free samples of Libby’s new Vegetable Pouches mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Libby’s and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

An InLinkz Link-up

Almond Cakes “to go” with Quinoa & Cranberry

August 23, 2014Baked Goods, Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Grain/Whole Grains, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Almond Cakes “to go” with Quinoa and Cranberry
The Recipe Redux – August, 2014: Bars and Bites for Brown Bags

For many families, the end of August also marks the return of school. Trying to come up with healthy options that are easy to transport, and which the kids will enjoy, can often feel like a daunting task.

These Almond “to-go” Cakes will make for a tasty, healthy addition to any brown bag. Kids love them because they are shaped like cookies, yet are moist and delicious like a cake. Moms love them because they are loaded with whole grains (buckwheat, quinoa and oats). These also make for a wonderful, healthful breakfast treat. I used tri-colored quinoa when I baked these, but any color quinoa will work fine in this recipe.

health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, snack, baked good, quinoa, cranberry, cake, mini, almond, lunch, brunch, breakfast, treat, to go — Your whole family will enjoy these palm-sized treats!

For extra fun, let the kids make their own designs on top of the cakes with the almonds just before baking. Over lunch they can show off their art work to their friends.

Many recipes for cakes and cookies often call for a stick or more of regular butter. This version replaces butter with mashed pumpkin and olive oil, which really cuts back the total saturated fat.

Almond to-go cakes Quinoa and Cranberry, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, snack, baked good, treat, breakfast, lunch, brunch, multigrain, whole grain — Almond cakes to-go with Quinoa and Cranberry: serve with fruit for a perfect snack!

To make the date paste: soak dates in enough water to cover them for 1-2 hours, then process dates and water until smooth in a food processor.

For delicious recipe variations: fold in 1/2 cup of shredded coconut or 3/4 cup chocolate chips into the mix just before shaping cookies. Dried cherries also taste great in place of the cranberries.

Happy Healthy Baking!

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup Almond flour
1/2 cup Tapioca flour
1/3 cup Buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan gum
3/4 cup Pumpkin, mashed
2/3 cup Date paste
2 large Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Almond extract
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 cup Quinoa, cooked
1 cup Oats, old fashioned, gluten-free
1 cup Cranberries, dried, fruit-sweetened
1/4 cup Almonds, sliced

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder and soda, salt and Xanthan gum.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer on low, whisk together pumpkin, date paste, eggs, and extracts until mixture is light and frothy. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while mixing. Beat in flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time. With a spatula, stir in cooked quinoa, oats, and cranberries. Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, spoon portions onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Gently press slice almonds into tops of cookies.

Bake to-go cakes for 15-20 minutes, or until cookies spring back to the touch. Place cakes on cookie rack to cool.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Lavender-Almond Pudding

June 22, 2014Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Lavender-Almond Pudding
Recipe Redux – June, 2014: Foods in Bloom

How nice to have summer upon us once again! The new season blooms with new life. With so many beautiful, fresh flowers everywhere, they inspire their usage in cuisine.

One of my favorite blooms to play with in the kitchen is lavender. The scent is wonderful, and it can add a great depth to many dishes, both sweet and savory. The trick : do not add to much of this fragrant floral, or your dish may turn out tasting soapy.

Instead of the usual whole milk, I substituted with almond milk in this pudding, which lightens up both the fat and calories for this dessert, plus the nuttiness makes for a lovely complement to the lavender. Fragrant vanilla enhances the flavor profile even more.
health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, pudding, almond lavender, dessert
When shopping for almond milk, I suggest reading the ingredients label to make sure your product does not contains phosphorous additives. While phosphorous is a necessary nutrient, we do get plenty naturally in our foods and do not generally need supplementation. Too much phosphorous intake can be lead to bad news for our bone health, and can also spell out trouble for anyone with kidney issues.

To check for phosphorous additives, look for any ingredient with “phos” in the name (examples: calcium phosphate, orthophosphoric acid, trisodium diphospate). Fortunately, there are still companies that produce almond milk without phosphorous additives (although other types of alternative milks, including hemp and oat, can be harder to find without this troublesome ingredient added).

Serve pudding with an almond tuile cookie to add some crunch.

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons Corn starch
2 1/4 cups Almond milk*
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt (I used Himalayan Pink salt)
1/2 tablespoon Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Lavender

PREPARATION

Add the cornstarch to a medium saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the almond milk, and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved and there are no clumps. Add the sugar, salt and lavender to pan and stir over medium high heat. Slowly pour in the remainder of the almond milk while stirring. Bring to a boil and gently boil for one minute while stirring constantly. Take pudding off heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into small ramekins and chill.

Serve chilled.

Makes 6-8 servings.

*Note: If preparing gluten-free, make sure your almond milk has no added gluten.

An InLinkz Link-up

Thai Basil Smoothie

February 23, 2014Dairy-Free, Drinks, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Fruit, Multi-Veggie, Raw Food, Salad/Side, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Thai Basil Smoothie
Recipe Redux – February, 2014: Beverages are Hot!

Sometimes it’s simply easier drink a meal than to eat it.

Blenderizing your fruits and veggies has the added benefit of making many of the nutrients easier for your body to digest and absorb. Maximize your next salad’s nutrition potential by tossing it in your high powered blender!

This Thai Basil Smoothie is a great example of a blended salad, and is sure to satisfy your savory tooth. Add extra chili to make it extra spicy (but do taste-test first as Thai chilis are HOT!) To make it less spicy, include less of the chili seeds. If you can’t get Thai basil or Thai chilies, then substitute with regular basil or slices of Serano peppers.

Thai Basil Smoothie, drink, vegan, vegetarian, savory breakfast, snack, raw, dairy free, vegetables, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, gluten free, drink — Thai Basil Smoothie

The addition of olive oil is important because its fat helps with absorption of the produce’s fat-soluable vitamins. If you don’t want to use olive oil then substitute with a wedge of healthy avocado instead.

INGREDIENTS
18 medium Grape tomatoes
3/4 cup Baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup Thai basil leaves
1/4 cup Cilantro leaves
1 small Scallion, cut into thirds
1 small Thai chili pepper, fresh,stem removed
1/4 medium Red bell pepper, seeded, sliced
1 tablespoon Lime juice
1 cup Water
1 pinch Sea salt
1 teaspoon Olive oil, extra virgin

PREPARATION
Toss all ingredients except olive oil into a high-powered blender. Blend ingredients at medium power for about 15 seconds, then turn speed to high and run machine until everything is blended together smoothly. Turn speed back down to medium and slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending. Serve in a tall, chilled glass.

Makes 1 tall, or 2 small, servings.

An InLinkz Link-up

Herbs de Provence Recipe

November 21, 2013Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Herbs de Provence Recipe
Recipe Redux – November, 2013: Merriment from Mixes

It’s that gift-giving time of year. At a loss for what to wrap up for your friends and family this time around? How about treating them to something assembled right in your own kitchen. Nothing sends a more thoughtful and caring message than a present that is handmade.

Making your own spice blend is super easy to accomplish, and is a gift that can keep on giving to your lucky recipients well past the holiday season.

One of my personal favorite herb blends is Herbs de Provence. So savory and earthy, it is wonderful for flavoring roasts and braises. I use it often to season roasted vegetables, especially root vegetables like potato. It is also delicious with beans, like in cassoulet. Liberal use of this flavorful blend in dishes also makes it easier to cut back on salt, which is great news for anyone’s heart health. Often difficult to find in stores, a gift of Herbs de Provence can really make a useful, thoughtful addition to any loved one’s kitchen.

When making this recipe, before processing all the herbs together you will want to “crack” the fennel seeds (because of their hard consistency, they will take much longer to process than the herbs). Break the fennel seeds down using either a coffee grinder (easy) or a mortar and pestle (hard work) before adding them to the food processor with the herbs.

Variations of this recipe may also include oregano, sage and/or dried orange peel, as well as may omit the fennel and/or lavender. Feel free to go ahead and personalize your gift mix to really make it your own special signature blend to delight everyone with

Herbs de Provence, homemade gifts, flavor, spice, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian — Herbs de Provence

this holiday.

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons Thyme leaves, dried
4 tablespoons Marjoram, dried
3 tablespoons Basil leaves, dried
3 tablespoons Rosemary leaves, dried
3 tablespoons Tarragon leaves, dried
3 tablespoons Savory, dried
2 tablespoons Lavender, dried
1 tablespoon Fennel seeds, cracked

PREPARATION

Place all the herbs in a food processor. Process herbs about 5-7 seconds, enough to chop the herbs, but not long enough to pulverize them.

Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container.

Makes about one cup.

Healthy in the Kitchen

Every Meal is Opportunity to Nourish your Body

Category Archives: Vegan

Smokey Vegged-Out Chili

Corn Cakes

Almond Cakes “to go” with Quinoa & Cranberry

Lavender-Almond Pudding

Thai Basil Smoothie

Herbs de Provence Recipe