Category Archives: Recipes

Cauliflower Gnocchi with Roasted Tomato Sauce – All comfort with Zero Guilt

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A gluten-free pasta primavera that’s not heavy, but very filling. This is a meal that can serve up leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.

I’ve recently decided to forgo canned tomatoes and venture into making tomato sauce from scratch. What a difference a fresh tomato makes! The sauce is a bit more on the pink side, just like all those appetizing pics from the kitchens of Italy. I also find it less acidic than canned tomatoes.

I was excited to start from a perfect whole tomato rather than pouring out crushed tomatoes from a can. I roasted the tomatoes because why not get the most flavorful tomato sauce possible? I also made this on the spicy side – a nice little kick with a slight taste of honey for a little sweetness.

Here’s a summary of this tasty dish:

For the roasted tomatoes:

  • Nine large off- the- vine tomatoes (plum tomatoes are often used for sauce but my favorite is off-the-vine)
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I’m using Spanish these days – fruity and delicious!)
  • Garlic Powder
  • Oregano
  • Rosemary
  • Black Pepper

For the sauce:

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • ½ large onion, chopped
  • 1 large zucchini, chopped
  • 3 large baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 handful of frozen peas (organic)
  • 1 bag of cauliflower gnocchi (I used Trader Joe’s, organic)
  • Garlic Powder
  • Oregano
  • Basil
  • Thyme
  • Crushed Red Pepper
  • Black Pepper
  • Honey

Roughly chop the tomatoes into chunks and place in a casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly dust the tomatoes with garlic powder, oregano, rosemary, and black pepper. Roast the tomatoes for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees until soft. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, sauté all veggies in olive oil for about 10-15 minutes, excluding the frozen peas. Add the spices: the crushed red pepper, black pepper, and garlic powder.

After tomatoes have cooled, blend with an immersion blender or liquify in a blender until desired consistency. I like it on the thick side.

Add the blended tomatoes to the veggies along with the oregano, basil, and thyme. (Of these, add less thyme than the oregano and basil as it can be overpowering.) Stir well to coat all the veggies. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add the frozen gnocchi and simmer until cooked through adding the frozen peas in the last few minutes. Sweeten with a little honey if you prefer a sweeter sauce.

Enjoy!

Vegan Curry – Chick Peas, Spice and Everything Nice!

Snowy days and windy nights have arrived! Winter season has clearly rolled in for the next three or four months and with that, I’m craving warm and spicy meals.

This dish can really spice up your week. It’s a light protein-packed meal that can be made heartier with a side of rice, quiona, couscous, or even a baked potato. If you like heat, go heavy on the cayenne pepper. I hope you enjoy it!

Mock Cod Cakes (A vegetarian fish cake!)

Among other things, I’ve missed drives out to the coast this year, so I wanted something to remind me of the ocean. Whether it’s the taste or the scent of these fish-less cakes, this dish was a nice little escape to the sea from my home kitchen.

This video is part two from my previous video on YouTube where there’s a little bit of spirt-talk. I’m focusing on light and love and I hope you’ll join me.

Enjoy!

Spicy Homemade Granola (Reaping the benefits of Mother Nature the Tasty Way!)

This is my first attempt at homemade granola. Once you have a basic recipe, adding ingredients you love makes it a little more special. It’s simple, quick to prepare, gluten free, and delicious!

Lately, I’ve been reading up on the health benefits of incorporating various herbs, spices, and essential oils into our lifestyle and diet. Little by little, I’ve been making small changes that are improving my health and well-being in big ways. Keeping this in mind, I picked some healthful spices for my first batch of granola. I hope you enjoy!

Here in New England, high humidity has been a daily occurrence so I’ve been working more anti-inflammatory ingredients into my diet whenever I can. Here’s the scoop:

The basic recipe:

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

1/4 cup all-natural unsalted smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup raw creamed honey

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, warm the peanut butter and honey, add the oats and vanilla and stir until mixed well.

A few add-ins to boost the health benefits:

1 tsp. cinnamon (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, may reduce the risk of heart disease)

1 tsp. ground powdered ginger (anti-inflammatory, digestive aid, boosts metabolism, may lower cholesterol, may lower risk of cancer, may improve brain function)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg (anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant)

2 tbsp. organic unsweetened shredded coconut (heart-healthy antioxidant rich in iron, protein, and manganese – essential for healthy bones)

1 single-serving box of raisins (good source of fiber, iron, and calcium)

Single layer on a sheet of parchment paper and bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring half-way through.

Bake up a batch and your house will smell divine!

There’s so much nutritional goodness available to us from mother nature and it feels good, both physically and mentally, to utilize what is given to us naturally to protect our bodies and our health.

I hope this inspires you to become more aware of how we can stay healthy the natural – and tasty – way!

 

I slightly modified the basic recipe found at http://www.kristineskitchenblog.com (Thank you, Kristine’s Kitchen!)

If you want to do your own research on the health benefits of herbs and spices, one of many websites available at our fingertips is http://www.healthline.com.

Vegetable Soup – Protein Packed (vegan, gluten-free)

I’ve gotten back to my intermittent fasting again and, after two days of water and smoothies, this vegetable soup is light but filling enough for a meal. I added a can of pureed cannellini beans to boost the protein and thicken the soup just a bit.

I hope you try it and add it to your recipes of healthy soups!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil

½ medium onion, chopped

1 medium summer squash, chopped

1 large portabella mushroom, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped (I like off the vine)

½ cup frozen peas

1 can of low sodium cannellini beans, 15.5 oz.

4 cups vegetable stock

If you follow me, you know I don’t measure so feel free to add the following to taste:

A handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Garlic powder

Oregano

Rosemary

Black pepper

4 cups vegetable stock

Gluten-free soy sauce, optional

Sauté the onion, summer squash, mushroom, and tomato in the olive oil until onion is translucent and veggies are softened. Stir occasionally and while the veggies are cooking, prepare your stock. Drain, rinse, and puree the can of beans with about one cup of warm vegetable stock.

Add the herbs and seasonings to the veggies. Stir in the pureed beans plus the remaining 3 cups of stock and the frozen peas. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or soy sauce.

Enjoy!