Tag Archives: Vegan

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

Posted in Cooking, Recipes, YUM! by

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!

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!

Vegetarian Three Bean Chili

Spicy, vegetarian (if you’re watching dairy, this one’s vegan) and, of course, gluten free! This recipe can be adjusted according to your liking in heat, spice, texture, and thickness. Meat lovers won’t miss a thing with the addition of crumbled veggie burgers giving it not only the look of ground beef, but the texture as well.

To start – dice scallions and onions and chop mushrooms and bell pepper. I prefer red peppers for the sweetness and baby portobello mushrooms for their intense flavor.

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Sauté until all is soft and the mushrooms start to give off their juices. I always cook with extra virgin olive oil because I love the fruitiness!

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A crumbled veggie burger or two will up the meat factor and boost the flavor. I used a portobello veggie burger here.

Sauté together with oregano, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper.

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And finally beans: I used cannellini, red kidney beans, and black beans. The protein in this dish is through the roof!

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3-1 water and vegetable stock finish it up. Use less liquid for a thicker consistency.

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Let simmer for about 30 minutes.

 

I hope you try this dish. Spoon into a pretty bowl with a couple slices of jalapeno pepper and a dollop of sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!