Butternut Squash Soup

This soup was absolutely delicious, and you can add so many different toppings to it! I love creamy soup, but always love to toppings that add a crunch.

I paired this butternut squash soup with roasted broccoli, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

The main flavor of this soup came through from the fresh rosemary.

Rosemary is great for cleansing purposes, peace of mind, and spiritual purification. In ancient times the herb was used for medicinal properties such as alleviating muscle pain, improving memory, and boosting the immune system.

Rosemary is also a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Not to mention the flavor is incredible!

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (dried is also fine)

1 yellow onion

3 gloves of garlic

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup of full fat coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

3 cups of vegetable stock

Prep: the great thing about this soup is everything is going to get pureed, so you don’t have to worry about finely chopping the onions, mincing the garlic, etc. :)

1. Slice butternut squash in half (the long way), and remove the seeds. Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper, drizzled with olive oil and fresh rosemary. Roast it in the oven on 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Once you take it out from the oven, let it cool, and remove the skin (it peels right off). Cut it into chunks and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, chopped yellow onion and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic, and spices. Stir and cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes or until the garlic starts turning golden.

3. Add butternut squash, 1 can of coconut milk, another drizzle of olive oil, vegetable stock, salt, pepper and rosemary. Mix well.

4. Blend everything together with whatever blender you have! I find an immersion blender to be the easiest with soups. Taste it, and add more salt/pepper if need be.
   

Buddha Bowl with Creamy Cashew Soy Sauce

Named for its big, round Buddha belly shape, were defining the “Buddha bowl” here as a one-dish meal consisting of rice or whole grains, roasted veggies, dressing, and a fat or protein. I’ve been making Buddha Bowls for awhile now. I love them because they represent a balanced meal. If ever I’m torn on what to make for any meal (breakfast included) I usually turn to the idea of a Buddha Bowl. I know these bowls are going to offer nourishment in more ways than one.

I’m always in search for the best Buddha Bowl in NYC but this one was up there with some of my favorites without spending a fortune. Some of my favorite bowls in NYC are from De Maria, Bluestone Lane, Cafe Clover, and Le Botaniste. My mom started making this bowl a few years ago and we recently changed up the sauce to be cashew based and a little spicy…

This bowl is a combination of all my favorite foods. Brown rice, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, kale, avocados, and a creamy spicy cashew dressing. This recipe made about 3-4 large Buddha Bowls.

Prep:

1. Prepare your brown rice. I cook organic Red Mills in my cast iron pan with vegetable broth, but you can use anything that is most convenient and easiest for you (frozen included).

2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Cut sweet potatoes into cubes. Season sweet potatoes and chickpeas with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil. Lay them on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake the chickpeas for about 15 minutes, and the sweet potatoes for about 45.

3. Sauté a big bunch of kale in a steamer, or a saucepan with a little water. Add a little salt, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Wait until the kale is wilted but still has that beautiful bright green color before taking it off the heat (about 7 minutes).

4. In a blender (I use my nutribullet), make the cashew sauce. Add all of the ingredients for the sauce and blend until smooth, thick, and creamy.

Ingredients:

1 can of Chickpeas

3 sweet potatoes

Bunch of kale

2 cups of brown rice

Cashews

for the dressing

3 tablespoons of cashew butter

2 cloves of garlic

1 nub of ginger

3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons of tamari sauce (or low sodium soy sauce)

Warm water to thin

Leave a comment below if you want to see more recipes like this one!

Vegetable Wild Rice with Orange Zest

This was an absolutely delicious grain bowl packed with flavor, protein, and beautiful colors. I used the zest of an orange which gave this bowl a punch of flavor like no other. #eattherainbow

This dish makes for a great side paired with your protein of choice, or for your main over a bed of greens topped with an avocado. Either way, this grain bowl was incredibly delicious and nourishing.

The wild rice gives this dish a great structure, texture, and full bodied flavor. Plus it holds a higher amount of protein and fiber than that of your typical brown or white rice.

If you don’t have all the ingredients, you can easily improvise as shown below! Make this bowl your own :)

Ingredients:

2 cups of Long Grain Wild Rice (I use Lundberg)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup of golden raisins (sub: raisins, craisins, or dried apricots)

1 1/2 cup of chopped carrots

1 1/2 cup of chopped celery

1 small yellow onion

1 cup of fresh parsley (sub: cilantro would also be delicious)

1 cup of chopped almonds (sub: chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts)

Zest from an orange

Prep:

1. In a cast iron skillet (totally worth the investment especially if you are working with grains often!) or a medium saucepan, cook your long grain brown rice. I make it with vegetable stock! This rice typically takes about 45-50 minutes to cook fully.

2. In a medium skillet, sauté the onions with olive oil, carrots, and celery with a sprinkle of salt. Add a cover and turn the heat to low until the carrots cook through. Add golden raisins and orange zest and let the flavors cook and merge together for one minute. Remove from heat and set the sautéed mixture aside.

3. When the rice is fully cooked, stir in the sautéed mixture followed by parsley and chopped almonds. Salt to taste and serve!

Beet Pesto Sauce

I can honestly say this was ONE of the most delicious pasta dishes I’ve ever had. There is nothing I love more than creating a dish that looks AND tastes this good…

Believe it or not, this recipe was super easy. I’ve always loved trying different versions of pasta sauces. I can’t deny my love for classic marinara but it can often be so acidic…beets are a great alternative!

This beet pesto sauce is packed with vitamins and minerals from the beets and healthy fats from the walnuts and EVOO. Plus the texture was so smooth, creamy, and nutty!

Ingredients:

4 beets (roasted or steamed)

4 cloves of garlic

3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons of red chili pepper flakes

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of walnuts (almond or pine nuts would work too!)

Feta cheese

Fresh Dill

Pasta of choice

Prep:

1. Cook your beets. I cut and trimmed the leaves and ends and drizzled with a little Olive Oil. Then, individually wrap them in tin foil, and roast on 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. Once they’re done, I cut them in thirds to process easily in the blender.

2. Cook 1/2 pound of your favorite pasta al dente. Save a little bit of the pasta water while its cooking, this will help to break up the beet pesto. Set pasta aside and drizzle with a little olive oil. I used a white linguine because I really wanted to taste the flavor of the beets!

3. In a blender (I used my NutriBullet) pulse the walnuts and garlic. Then add your beets, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and red chili pepper flakes. Blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Mix the pesto with the linguine. Use a little bit of the pasta water you reserved to break up the sauce if need be.

5. Mix together fresh chopped dill, feta cheese, and olive oil to crumble on top of the pasta and serve.

That color though…enjoy!

Barley with Green Peas and Caramelized Onions

If quarantine has taught me one thing, it’s to listen to your body. What does it want? Usually we want what out bodies need. Listening to my body has brought me to an important conclusion: I love a big bowl of grains for lunch with some kind of green, a protein, and a healthy fat. This barley bowl was the perfect marriage of ingredients and colors!

Pearl barely has a ton of fiber, not to mention it’s one of the worlds oldest and most treasured grains! I love cooking with grains in their truest form.

The good thing about grain bowls is you can always improvise! I have been taking cooking classes with the amazing Terry Walters who has taught me many ways to improvise in the kitchen. She takes great cooking classes! Check out her website and sign up for her newsletter for her latest class opportunities.

Your body with thank you too if you make this delicious bowl. Top it over arugula, spinach, or chopped romaine! Eat it hot or cold! This bowl is a great base for lots of fabulous meals.

Ingredients:

Barely (I use Bobs Red Mill, you can also use farro, long grain rice, or any other unprocessed grain!)

Red onion

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon of sugar

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt

Peas (frozen are fine)

Feta Cheese (you can leave this out if you’re vegan, or use goat cheese!)

For the dressing:

1 cup of olive oil

1/2 juice from a lemon (or 1/2 cup of store bought lemon juice)

Zest from 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon of Dijon Mustard

1 tablespoon of honey, sugar, or maple syrup

Salt

Prep:

1. Cook your barley. It really depends on which pan you’re using based on how to cook it best! I use an iron saucepan, so I combine 1 cup of barely with 2 cups of water, and a little salt. I bring this to a boil, and simmer on the lowest heat for about 30 minutes. Turn the heat completely off and let it sit. The grains hold their shape best without mixing while its simmering/cooking!

2. In another medium saucepan, add chopped red onion with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and salt to caramelize. Cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes, or until the onions are very soft. I didn’t want them to brown so they keep their color and flavor!

3. If you’re using frozen peas, thaw them, and boil them in boiling water. Pour them into a strainer and blanch them under cold water.

4. In a small bowl, mix together your dressing. 1 cup of olive oil, 1/2 juice from a lemon and it’s zest, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of Dijon Mustard, and salt.

5. Combine ingredients and mix well!

Carrot Risotto

This weeks spotlight: carrots. They’ve always been one of my favorite root vegetables. I snack on them raw sprinkled with a little salt, juice them, and add them to most of the soups I make.

Carrots are one of the more popular root vegetables and for good reason. They are filled with antioxidants and vitamin A, which is known to help boost your vision & bone growth. I have been finding it super easy to find organic carrots in the market during this time, hopefully you can too!

I originally wanted to make a big batch of carrot ginger soup and freeze half of it. I add ginger whenever I can to my soups. I find that it always adds a healing, powerful, fresh element to everything! If you’re looking for more ways to add it to your recipes, try this red lentil ginger soup.

Instead of sticking with the soup route, I poured half of the mixture over brown rice to make a creamy make-shift risotto. I added roasted pumpkin seeds for crunch and Parmesan cheese for a nutty flavor. The improvisation was a hit.

Improvising in the kitchen has been a blessing for me. I used to have an extremely rigid set of “rules” that I would swear by when it came to how I prepared and ate my foods. During quarantine, I have been embracing the beauty of improvising more than ever! Hopefully you can too.

I hope you’re all enjoying this time to step back, and have fun improvising. I’d love to hear from you with any comments or feedback whatever that may be!

Let’s talk about c a r r o t s. I have been finding them super easy to find during quarantine, so I’ve been trying to incorporate them into lots of my meals. I’ve always loved carrots. I snack on them, juice with them, and love adding them to my soups. For this soup, I decided to use them as the main ingredient.

They’re rich in antioxidants, Vitamin A, and potassium. One of my favorite root vegetables, and the star of these two delicious dishes!

I originally made this as a soup! The texture was so velvety and creamy from the coconut cream so I decided to try using it as a risotto. I loved it both ways!

Quarantine has forced me to get creative with my meals and start improvising! I encourage you to do the same, because you never know what you’ll come up with :)

This soup recipe made about 8 servings, so I decided to use it over rice as a risotto to switch it up!

Ingredients you’ll need:

For the soup

10 medium sized carrots (washed and peeled)

2 inch nub of ginger (peeled with a spoon)

3 tablespoons of coconut cream (you can also use coconut milk if that’s all you have)

1 yellow onion

2 cloves of garlic

3 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon on cinnamon

3 cups of vegetable broth

Salt and Pepper

Immersion or regular blender (If you don’t already have an immersion blender, it is the best kitchen tool you’ll ever buy. I have this one.)

Additional delicious toppings: pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, parsley, or cilantro.

To make into risotto

Brown Rice

Parmesan Cheese (1/4-1/2 cup)

Pumpkin Seeds (a handful)

1. First, cut, wash, peel, and chop your carrots. Peel and chop the yellow onion (doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s going to be blended up anyways)! Peel and mince garlic, store bought minced garlic is also fine! Use a grater to grate the garlic.

2. In a large pot, heat up 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add chopped onions, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, cumin, and saute for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Turn down the heat to low, add carrots, and cook for another 10 minutes stirring often.

4. Add vegetable broth, bay leaves, coconut cream, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes or until the carrots are soft (you can poke them with a fork to test)

5. Get out your immersion blender and blend ingredients together! You can also transfer this mixture into a blender. Then, your soup is complete! I garnished mine with parsley and toasted pumpkin seeds.

This soup was delicious. It was creamy, velvety, and light. The pumpkin seeds added great crunch, and the parsley added a great fresh flavor!

To make this into a risotto, add it to your favorite rice with a handful of toasted pumpkin seeds, and a little Parmesan cheese! I used a long grain brown rice.

The color of this risotto was my favorite thing about this meal…such a beautiful color orange from the carrots!

Veggie Burgers using Juice Pulp

If you have a juicer, and love veggie burgers, then this recipe is for you! I’ve been trying to make a juice everyday and recently have been reading up on ways you can use the excess pulp from the juice!

Ingredients:

2 cups of pulp from carrot/beet/ginger juice (use my recipe here (minus the apple)

2 sweet potatoes

1 cup of chickpeas 

3-4 scoops of hummus 

1 yellow onion

3 tablespoons of olive oil

Prep:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees and bake two whole sweet potatoes, and 1 can of chick peas for about 30 minutes. I drizzled them with olive oil and sea salt. Once they’re out of the oven, take the skin off the sweet potatoes with a fork.

2. In a large pan, heat up 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add 1 chopped yellow onion and add salt. Once its cooked down, add the sweet potatoes and chick peas, 2 cups of pulp, 3/4 tablespoons of hummus (I used a regular sabra hummus!), and a good amount of salt. Cook everything while stirring and mashing for about 5-7 minutes (I used a masher for this).

3. Once the mixture is cooked and well mashed, transfer to the fridge for a few hours. They’re easier to make into patties when they’re cold! This recipe made 7-8 patties. I froze half of them!

4. In a non stick skillet, coat the pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the patty and cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes! (You can also bake it, but found that this was the best method with some cheddar cheese, avocado, and ketchup on a whole grain english muffin)

Sweet Potato Hash

I love using sweet potatoes as a brunch side. This version using peppers and onions is great with some hot sauce on top! Depending on what I have in my refrigerator, I also love adding celery, or fennel to this recipe! I also like to top it on my avocado toast.

Ingredients:

2 medium size sweet potatoes (I don’t peel mine! I find that leaving the skin on keeps them in tact while cooking. Plus the skin is filled with nutrients)

1 yellow onion

1 red pepper

4 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Optional: Celery or fennel - gives this dish a great bite to it!

Prep:

1. Cut sweet potatoes into small cubes (about 1/2 inch) so that they cook fast in the skillet. Cut red pepper into long strips. Cut yellow onion into long strips.

2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat up 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Throw in yellow onion with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, followed by the red pepper, and the sweet potato. Add more salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to low, and pop a lid to let the sweet potatoes cook all the way through.

Chickpea Cauliflower Tacos

These were delicious, and packed with a ton of protein! The lime slaw on top was very refreshing, and added a great crunchy flavor!

Ingredients

Whole Wheat wraps (I get the “carb savy” ones from Trader Joes)

Cauliflower Florets (I used the whole 12 oz bag from Trader Joes)

1 can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of chili powder

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Cabbage

3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Lime

1 jalapeno

Cilantro

Sour Cream

Hot sauce

Prep

For the filling, get a large mixing bowl and add the cauliflower and the chickpeas. Add the olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Mix well so that all of the ingredients are evenly combined. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the chickpeas are golden and the cauliflower is tender.

In another bowl, add cabbage, and massage with apple cider vinegar, and lime juice. Then add cilantro, chopped jalapeno, and salt.

Lay out the wraps and coat with sour cream, followed by the cauliflower chickpea filling. Top with the slaw, cilantro, lime juice and hot sauce!

Butternut Squash Stew with Coconut Cream over Brown Jasmine Rice

This recipe was made by accident! That’s what I love about cooking, one thing can lead to another! I also love pairing different spices together. This dish was super earthy tasting, with rich Indian flavors. It is hearty, filling, and extremely healthy!

Ingredients:

• Cooked jasmine rice, or rice of choice (I used brown jasmine rice from trader joe’s. I made two cups with boiled water, it takes about 40 minutes)

• 1 medium size butternut squash

• 1/2 head of cabbage

• Thyme

• Coconut cream

• 1 teaspoon Nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 dry bay leaves

• Salt and pepper

• 4 diced scallions

• 2 whole scotch bonnet peppers

Prep:

1. Prepare the large butternut squash by dicing into 1/2 inch cubes

2. Bring 4 1/2 cups of salted water to a boil, add three large dollops of coconut cream and stir until melted. Then bring the liquid to a boil, add the butternut squash cubes, thyme, 2 scotch bonnet peppers, four diced scallions, nutmeg, cinnamon, bay leaves, and lots of salt and pepper. Put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes

3. Roughly chop 1/2 head of cabbage, and add to the mixture along with more salt. The mixture should still be a bit liquid-y. This is normal. Put the lid on again and cook until the butternut squash is tender!

   I served the stew over fluffy brown jasmine rice. This dish was delicious and perfect for a cold rainy day!

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Enjoy the wings without the chicken. These were seriously delicious and so easy to make :)

Ingredients:

• 2 bags of cauliflower florets from Trader Joe’s

• 1 stick of butter

• 1/2 cup of olive oil

• Panko bread crumbs

• Almond flour

• Frank’s hot sauce

• Air fryer

• Salt and pepper

Prep:

1. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of Frank’s hot sauce, 1 stick of melted butter, and 1/2 cup of olive oil together. Then, add the cauliflower and make sure all pieces are coated with the wet mixture.

2. In another large bowl, combine 1/4 cup of Panko bread crumbs, 1 cup of almond flour, salt and pepper.

3. Coat the first half of the wet cauliflower florets with the dry mixture, and put in the air fryer on 350 degrees for 13 minutes. Do the same with the other half.

4. After they came out of the air fryer I kept them in the oven to warm and crisp up even more!

   I served them with a light ranch dip. Delicious!

Butternut Squash Pasta Fagioli Soup

This might have been the best soup I’ve had all season. I grew up eating and loving Pata Fagioli and this was my first time trying it at home.

This particular recipe is inspired by Jamie Olivers Angry Pasta Fagioli soup in new book “Ultimate Veg” !

Ingredients:

1/2 butternut squash (diced)

2 carrots

Olive Oil

1 can of fire roasted diced green chiles

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 pound of whole grain penne

1 12oz can of plum tomatoes

1 can of cannellini beans

1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

Lots of rosemary

Salt and pepper

Prep:

1. In a large pan, add diced carrot, butternut squash, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and the green chiles. Cook down for ten minutes and add salt and pepper.

2. Add chopped onion, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for another ten minutes

3. Add penne, plum tomatoes, cannellini beans and 3 cups of water. Cover and let cook for 25 minutes.

4. Add salt, pepper, and rosemary and SERVE.

   The butternut squash made this recipe creamy, hearty, and flavorful!

Vegan Butternut Squash Chili

This winter I’ve been trying different variations of chili! It’s especially easy to make now that I have a crock pot. I make everything in the morning, and by the time I come home I have homemade chili that lasts for days! This version is made with butternut squash and has a great smokey flavor to it!

I have never worked with butternut squash before, so I looked up how to dice it. This video was helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI-7RZDeOYY

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tomato sauce

• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

• 1 cup of veggie broth

• 5 cloves of garlic

• 2 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I found this can in the mexican food section - the adobo sauce gives an amazing smokey flavor)

• 1 tbsp cumin

• 1 butternut squash (diced)

• 1 can of black beans

• 1 can of corn

• Lots of scallions

• Fresh cilantro

Prep:

1. Dice the butternut squash

2. In the crock pot, add 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 can of fire toasted diced tomatoes, veggie broth, minced garlic, peppers in adobo sauce, and cumin. Mix for two minutes or until everything is fully blended together.

3. Add butternut squash, black beans, chopped scallions, and corn. Mix well.

4. Cover, and cook for 8 hours.

5. I served in a bowl topped with fresh cilantro! I also had it for dinner the next day over tortilla chips and cheese and put it in the oven to make nachos, and the next day as a taco salad! This recipe made about 6 servings.

Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower

I love mac and cheese. This is my personal healthy take on a classic white cheddar mac and cheese with a spicy kick.

I’ve always found mac and cheese to be a lot of work, but this recipe in particular is easy, fast, and made as healthy as possible to still taste like traditional mac and cheese. The rue takes no time at all, and I cook the pasta in the same pot as the cauliflower to make this dish as easy as possible.

I like to use whole grain elbows from Barilla instead of using regular white pasta. I rarely cook with white pasta unless homemade! I actually prefer the taste of whole grain, whole wheat, or some sort of protein packed pasta. I cook with this whole grain pasta a couple times a week and love it! It’s packed with fiber and protein.

Consistency of the cheese sauce before adding it to the pasta and cauliflower **impossible not to taste** I kept dipping pretzel rods in it…

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of whole grain Barilla elbows

• 1 head of cauliflower

• 3 cloves of minced garlic

• 2 cups of milk

• 1/2 cup of olive oil

• 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons of hot sauce

• 1 tablespoon of paprika

• 3 tablespoons of whole wheat flour

• 3 cups of shredded white cheddar cheese

• 1 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Salt

Prep:

1. Set oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large pot, boil water. Add 1 head of chopped cauliflower and a pound and a half of pasta. Cook al dente for 8 minutes. Once cooked, sprinkle with olive oil and set aside in a large pan.

3. **FOR THE RUE** - Heat a large saucepan to medium heat, then add olive oil. Once hot, add 3 gloves of minced garlic and cook until golden. Then, add 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the 3 tablespoons of flour and whisk for 3 minutes or until thick and creamy with no lumps. Slowly add the 2 cups of milk, and continue to whisk for another minute. Start to add the cheese while whisking. Once all of the cheese is added and melted, add paprika, pepper, dijon mustard, and hot sauce and continue to stir.

4. Once the rue is complete, immediately add it to the pasta/cauliflower mixture. Add breadcrumbs and mix everything together.

5. I always add a little more butter to the top, and then add more breadcrumbs.

6. Back in oven at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

   This recipe in particular makes enough servings for an army!! You’ll have lots of leftovers. :)