Vegetarian

Israeli Couscous Salad

I love it when I find new salads or summer side dishes that can be made ahead to marinate all day or made on the fly to eat up right then and there. This salad is one of those salads that tastes great either way. This is the perfect salad to bring to a potluck, picnic or to serve up in your own backyard. It’s full of summer flavor from the fresh mint, parsley and cherry tomatoes. We love pairing this salad with chicken drumsticks and one of my kale salads for a family backyard dinner. You can really make this a year round salad by adding seasonal ingredients to the mixture, like asparagus in the spring, cauliflower or broccoli in the winter.

July 17, 2013 23 Comments

Grilled Bruschetta with Heirloom Tomatoes

I’m sure you’ve all seen the cover for the July/August edition of Martha Stewart Living in either a book store or your grocery store. If you’ve seen it, then you know why I just had to run out and make up this bread. I opened up my mailbox last week and saw the cover showcasing this beautiful assortment of heirloom tomatoes on top of this toasted bread. I immediately went to the grocery store, bought me some heirlooms and made this up for lunch. I have to say that I was in food heaven. This bread is crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside from the juicy heirlooms and olive oil. The crunchy sea salt and fresh basil just give it another punch of flavor and texture. John and I split half a loaf up for lunch one day and paired it with my lacinato kale salad and drumsticks another night for dinner. I also brought this to a friend’s house and served it up as an appetizer. Let’s just say it was a hit with everyone. It’s truly the perfect summer bruschetta!

July 9, 2013 12 Comments

beet and carrot and apple and ginger juice no juicer required

Beet, Carrot, Apple and Ginger Juice – No Juicer Required

Here’s another juice that I’m currently loving that you can make without a juicer. Yaay! I love that I can juice at home without requiring the use of an expensive juicer. It just makes me happy. I have 2 other juices on the blog that you can make without a juicer as well, my mean green juice and my carrot, grapefruit and ginger juice. They all taste great and each one of them has a special kick to it from the ginger. I made this juice up one afternoon and Zoe and John looked at it and decided to call it vamp juice, because it sort of looks like blood, but don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like blood.

June 27, 2013 71 Comments

Easy Overnight Steel Cut Oats

So most of you know that I was a cereal addict since the age of 17. I literally ate a bowl of cereal everyday, usually grape-nuts topped with some other kind of fiberish cereal and granola. I’m one of those people that wakes up hungry and can’t sit around and wait a 1/2 hour for breakfast to cook, so cereal was the breakfast of choice, or should I say breakfast of convenience. Steel cut oats were reserved for those fancy hotel vacations or breakfast out with the family, as I was under the assumption that steel cut oats were a labor intensive and timely breakfast to whip up. I changed that way of thinking though when I cooked up my hot quinoa and oat cereal for the first time. I learned the trick to a quick breakfast of steel cut oats, and that was to bring them to a quick boil and then let them sit out overnight. I still eat cold cereal on occasion, but lately I have been devouring these steel cut oats, my 5 minute quinoa cereal and my quinoa and oat cereal. I would have to say that my breakfast routine has changed for the better!

June 6, 2013 209 Comments

One-Pan Pasta

Isn’t this above picture just beautiful and doesn’t it make you want to try a batch of this pasta tonight? I mean look at all of those fresh ingredients and all that color. I saw a photo similar to this in the most recent edition of Martha Stewart living and it looked so cool and challenging to me. I mean a one-pan pasta, who had ever heard of that (not me)? I seriously wondered how it was all going to work, and I have to say that I was a bit skeptical. I will also admit that the first time I made this pasta up, it didn’t turn out so great, as the pasta was overcooked. I was under the assumption that ALL of the water had to evaporate, so I cooked the pasta way too long and it was a bit over-done. We all really loved the flavors in this pasta though, so I vowed to try it again. Well, the second time around proved to be the charm. The pasta came out perfectly al dente and it created this thick creamy sauce that coated every strand of pasta.

June 4, 2013 118 Comments

Asparagus and Gruyere Cheese Pizza

We’re bringing back pizza Friday in the Grandy house, at least for the summer anyway. I just love pizza Fridays. We all hang in the kitchen, I make a big salad while the kid’s roll out the dough and assemble their pizza while talking about their week. I unwind with a glass of wine and watch them (just kidding, I do help). The kids usually create their own pizza, usually just a jar of Trader Joe’s red sauce, some pepperoni and some mozzarella cheese, easy peasy and kid friendly. John and I like a more adult pizza so I like to experiment with different combinations. I created this one night as I had tons of asparagus in the house and thought to myself, why not throw this on a pizza. I added a bit of garlic to some olive oil, threw in some gruyere cheese along with the mozzarella, just to jazz things up, and voila, a delicious pizza was created. I love when that happens. Pizza is pizza, and I love that you can just throw anything on it and have it turn out great, (well, most of the time). My next pizza idea involves some heirloom tomatoes, that is when their prices comes down of course.

May 22, 2013 15 Comments

Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup

This soup is wonderfully creamy, but without the cream, as it’s dairy free and vegan to boot. Woo hoo! I love that it’s made with simple whole-food ingredients and most of them I already had stocked in my pantry, besides the sweet potatoes that is. The soup is sweet and creamy but with a spicy kick to it from the chipotle. John and I loved this soup. The kids liked it, but it’s not their favorite soup. They seemed to like it a bit more when I threw on some homemade croutons, as they liked having that extra texture.

May 15, 2013 28 Comments

Carrot, Grapefruit and Ginger Juice – No Juicer Required

Remember when I showed you all how to make a mean green juice without a juicer? Well, I’m showing you another one of my favorite juices. This juice is both sweet and sour with a zesty and spicy kick to it from the ginger. I love downing one of these after a morning workout, as it reenergizes me and puts a kick in my step. John loves to have this in the morning before he heads off to work, as it wakes him up. This juice is packed full of fiber and chock full of vitamin C, and who doesn’t like or need a bit of that this time of year. You can make this juice in your juicer, but if you don’t have a juicer, don’t fret, I will show you how to make this juice without one. Ok, let’s get this party started!

April 8, 2013 9 Comments

Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad

Anyone who knows me knows that I love lacinato kale. I mean it just tastes so good, yes, you heard me right, it really tastes good. It’s not just me who feels that way, my kids prefer a kale salad over an arugula or spinach one any-day, and John, well he likes all types of salads, he’s not a picky guy. Kale is uber healthy, and if stored properly the leaves can last for about 2 weeks in the fridge. Kale is also a great make-ahead salad. It’s one of those salads that you can make ahead, like the morning of an event, and have it taste great at dinner. Kale salads make great leftovers. I love that I can make up a salad on Monday and then eat leftovers on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it tastes great all three days. I will have to say that lacinato kale is the kale to try first if you are new to kale. Lacinato kale really tastes more like a lettuce, especially when you massage the dressing into it. Curly kale on the other hand, tastes bitter and can leave a chalky aftertaste in your mouth. I think most people who have tried kale have tried curly kale, and that’s why kale has gotten the bad reputation. Please, just try a salad with lacinato kale (sometimes called tuscan or dinosaur kale) and you might be converted.

March 6, 2013 21 Comments

Quinoa Cakes

Jump to recipe Ok, so remember when I was obsessed with kale and everything kale? Well, I’m still pretty obsessed with kale, but now I’m

February 13, 2013 70 Comments

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Dairy free green goddess dressing. This is my dairy free, vegan take on a green goddess dressing. I wanted to create a tasty dairy free version, while focusing on keeping the ingredients ultra clean, so I used a coconut based yogurt @cocojune_organic that doesn’t contain gums, or other ingredients you can’t pronounce.

Comment “green” and I’ll DM you the recipe link.

The result, we love this dressing and have been making it on repeat. I love how creamy and vibrant this dressing is and how it coats each piece of lettuce. I also love how interchangeable the herbs are. You can truly use what you have on hand.

This dressing isn’t just for salads, you can use as a dip for veggies, sweet potato fries, or drizzle over grilled or roasted chicken. The possibilities are endless. 💕

#greengoddessdressing #greengoddesssalad #greengoddess #healthyfood #saladdressing #dairyfreesalad #dairyfreerecipes #vegandressing #vegansalad

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I want to share with you guys a simple lesson about reading ingredients. Here’s my favorite brand of coconut milk, Native Forest. As you can see, they have 2 kinds of the full fat unsweetened coconut milk, one is called simple, and one is classic. The difference here is in the ingredients, one contains guar gum and one doesn’t.

You really want to look at the labels and the ingredients, and not just trust the brand is the same across all products.

I love this Native Forest, Simple, because again it clearly states no quars, and if you look in the ingredients, you’ll see organic coconut milk, organic coconut, filtered water. Simple whole food ingredients, no added fillers, gums, or flavors. You always want to look for a BPA free cans and the USDA organic stamp, which means its certified organic, so there’s no GMO’s, pesticides etc.

What is guar gum, and why is it bad?

Guar gum, which is derived from the guar bean is a thickening agent that can wreak havoc on your digestive system by causing bloating, gas, and discomfort. It can disrupt the delicate balance of your gut microbiome, leading to inflammation and impaired nutrient absorption. It’s also seen a lot in non-dairy creamers or milks.

Was this helpful? If so, let me know in the comments below, 👇 as well as what else you would like to see, or know more about?

#readlabels #readfoodlabels #guargum #guthealth #guthealing #inflammationrelief #antiimflammatory

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Easy buckwheat porridge. If you’re looking to switch up your morning bowl of oats, then give buckwheat a try. It has a chewy texture and mild flavor, that pairs with just about anything.

Comment ‘easy buckwheat’ and I’ll send you the recipe.

This buckwheat porridge is SO EASY to make, and is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan to boot, and the bonus is it takes under 15 minutes to whip up in the morning.

This breakfast is hubby approved. Steve tried this the other day and kept saying, “this is the best breakfast,” “man, this is SO good.” So if I can get my mountain biking, carb loving hubby to happily eat of bowl of this, then I think your family might love this too.

I love topping mine with blueberries, @socotahini and bee pollen!

#buckwheat #buckwheatporridge #buckwheatrecipes #porridgebowl #porridge #porridgelover #breakfastideas #breakfast #healthybreakfast #healthybreakfastclub #healthybreakfastideas

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Rosemary & thyme turkey burgers. These are not your typical dry turkey burgers. The rosemary and thyme paired with the sautéed red onion give these burgers a pop of flavor, and the Dijon and avocado oil pump up the moisture. These burgers are also gluten-free and dairy-free.

Comment ‘turkey burger’ and I’ll DM you the recipe link.

I love topping these burgers on a big green salad and pairing them with my oven roasted sweet potato fries. Delish! #turkeyburger #turkeyburgers #burger #dairyfreeglutenfree #burgers #healthyfood

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These vegan Mexican quinoa bowls have become a weekly staple in our house. They’re naturally vegan, but are full of flavor from the avocado tahini, and spicy chipotle tahini sauce.

Comment ‘vegan bowl’ and I’ll DM you the recipe.

These bowls are also great for those that are on the candida diet.

I ❤️ these bowls because they’re jam packed with plant protein, as quinoa is a complete protein, and beans when paired with the quinoa, make a complete protein too. This bowl is balanced and satisfying from the slow burning carbs, healthy fats, plant protein, and will honestly sustain you for hours.

These bowls are a great weeknight meatless dinner option, as I typically make the sauces ahead of time, (they literally take 5 minutes) so when it comes to dinner time, all I have to do is make the quinoa (takes under 20 minutes) and roast the sweet potatoes. I hope you give these a try, and that they become a go-to meatless dinner.

#candidadiet #candidacleanse #veganbowls #veganbowls #veganrecipes #veganrecipe #vegandinner #vegandinnerideas #healthyfood

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Here’s the perfect snack for those of you trying to cut back on refined sugar. These healthy no bake cacao oat bars are super addicting, once you have a bite, you just can’t stop.

Comment ‘oat bars’ and I’ll DM you the recipe.

The great thing is you don’t have to feel guilty, as these are made with pretty healthy ingredients and are GF, DF and refined sugar free. I love having these on hand for that afternoon, or post lunch craving. They hit the spot perfectly. #healthy #healthysnacks #healthysnackideas #healthysnack #refinedsugarfree #norefinedsugar #healthydesserts #healthydessert #healthydessertrecipes #healthysnackrecipes

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