Baked Cauliflower Steaks

Delicious and easy cauliflower “steaks”. The rub takes no time to prepare, and the steaks take about 20 minutes to cook in the oven. The rub is made with items you probably have in your pantry. The lemon adds the perfect zing of flavor of summer to these steaks. Serve these plant based steaks as a side, as a main on top of a bed of greens, or in a salad!

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower 

• 1/4 cup of olive oil 

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt 

• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper 

• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder 

• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika 

• Juice from a lemon (or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice)

• Topped with feta cheese and sunflower seeds

Preparation:

1. Cut off the butt and leaves of the cauliflower. Slice it in half through the top of the cauliflower, then cut into 1 inch thick steaks. You should be able to get at least 4 good size steaks depending on the size of your cauliflower. The rest may crumble but it’s all good!

2. Create a rub to pour over the cauliflower by mixing olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and a lemon squeeze together in a medium size bowl bowl. 

3. Pour and brush the rub mixture over the cauliflower steaks and pop them in the oven on 450 on a baking sheet (I use the Baking Steel, they cook super easy on this! It’s a kitchen staple and a much more durable version of your typical baking sheet). If you’re using a regular baking sheet, line it with parchment paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. 

   I served them topped with feta cheese, lemon, and sunflower seeds.Delicious…

Hearty Split Pea Soup

I’ve always loved split pea soup! This pea soup recipe is high in fiber, magnesium, and will leave you feeling satisfied with the hearty chunks of potatoes and carrots. This recipe is quick and easy only calling for 8 ingredients!

Ingredients

2 cups of split peas (rinsed and sorted)

4 tablespoons of olive oil

1 yellow onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

3 yukon potatoes

2 large carrots

Salt and Pepper to taste

**parmesan cheese to top

This recipe yields 7-10 servings

Prep

1. Chop up yellow onion and carrots finely, and throw into a large saucepan with the olive oil on medium/high heat. Stir for 5 minutes, the onions should be soft. Then, add finely chopped garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and stir for 5 minutes or until the garlic is golden

2. Add peas and broth. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer covered for 30 minutes

3. Chop up the potatoes into cubes, then add them to the cooked pot of peas. Bring back to a boil and cook for another 30 minutes covered, on low to medium heat.

4. Serve immediately! I love topping this soup with parmesan cheese and sourdough

Apple Slices with Almond Butter and Granola

This is one of my favorite things to eat in the morning. I love eating fruits first thing in the morning, or for a snack in the afternoon. Your body will be fueled with fiber, protein, and healthy fats with this snack!

Ingredients:

• Honey crisp apple - let’s be real this is the best kind of apple out there!

• Almond Butter - I use Justin’s!

• Granola - like to make my own! Recipe here. If I don’t have this stocked, I love Purely Elizabeth’s granola and all of her products, because she uses all natural ingredients. There are a ton of granola’s out there that are packed with added sugars, which is why I stick to my own, or Purely Elizabeth.

  Slice apple, spread with almond butter, dip in granola and enjoy :)

Brown Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew

As a vegetarian, lentils are one of my main sources of protein. I love eating them in many different forms but my favorite way to incorporate lentils into my daily meals is in soups. Besides the high levels of protein found in lentils, there are a ton of other reasons why you should incorporate them into your diet. Especially if you are looking to cut back on meat. They’re full of fiber, iron, and polyphenols compounds (which help fight against harmful agents such as heart disease and cancer).

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1-2 teaspoon of minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons of cumin

• 2 sweet potatoes

• 1.5 cups of brown lentils

• 5 cups of water

• 2 teaspoons of tomato paste

• 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce

• Optional add ons: cilantro, parsley, sour cream, feta cheese

This recipe made about 5 servings

Prep:

1. Chop up yellow onion, and 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into cubes.

2. In a non-stick skillet, heat up 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Throw in chopped onion with a little salt, and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, and heat for another minute. Then, add cumin and stir cooking for another minute until everything is mixed together.

3. Add lentils, water, sweet potatoes, chipotle peppers, tomato paste, and bring everything to a boil.

4. Turn down the heat to medium-low, and let soup simmer for about an hour, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. I tasted it after about 45 minutes and added salt to taste.

   I topped this with feta cheese and cilantro which I found to be the best way to top it! I also tried it with sour cream and it was delicious.

Brown Lentil Vegetable Soup

I always make this soup when I need a bit of a detox. If I’ve been drinking a lot, or eating a lot of dairy, this soup is the perfect meal to get you back on track. It has a ton of protein, and vitamins from the kale! I’ve been making lentil soup for years now and this is just one of my many lentil soup recipes :) In my opinion…lentils are healers!

This recipe takes about 15 minutes to prepare, and 1 hour to cook.

Ingredients:

3 cups of brown lentils

1 yellow onion

3 tablespoons of olive oil

4 gloves of garlic

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

2 cups of chopped kale

1 quart of vegetable broth

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 chopped red potatoes

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

Prep:

1. In a large pot, heat up olive oil. Heat on medium for 5 minutes, then add garlic, salt, pepper, and 3 tablespoons of tomato paste. Mix well, then add in chopped carrots and celery and cook for 5 more minutes.

2. Add 1 qt. of vegetable broth, chopped potatoes, 3 cups of brown lentils, rosemary, thyme, 4 cups of water, and salt and pepper.

3. Bring to a boil, add chopped kale, then reduce heat and cook for about an hour.

4. Taste it after 45 minutes and add extra salt if need be!

5. I usually add parsley or cilantro to my lentil soup. I had parsley in my fridge and it tasted great as a garnish!

Red Lentil Ginger Soup

This plant-based Red Lentil Ginger soup is delicious, hearty, and perfect for the cold weather! I have been making lentil soup for years now, but this combination of ingredients is definitely my favorite.

In total, this took me about 20 minutes to prep everything, and I left it cooking for about 2-3 hours until serving.

Ingredients: 

1/2 bag of red split lentils 

1 container of vegetable broth 

1 cup of water

1 yellow onion 

2 rainbow carrots

3 gloves of garlic (minced) 

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of red pepper chili flakes

2 tablespoons of tomato paste 

2 tablespoons of fresh ginger 

1/4 cup of olive oil 

Salt and Pepper

Fresh cilantro  

Prep: 

1. Heat up olive oil in a pot, then throw in onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 5ish minutes on medium heat. Then, stir in cumin, tomato paste, salt and pepper, chopped carrots, red pepper chili flakes, and ginger. Cook for 5  minutes on low. 

2. Throw in red lentils, vegetable broth, water. Bring everything in the pot to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let everything cook together.

3. I tasted it after 30 minutes and tasted done! But I kept it on low heat for a couple of hours. House smelled unreal!! I served mine topped with fresh cilantro.