Meatless Monday: Vegan Garden Fresh Breakfast Potatoes

Hello Darlings!

I am not the biggest breakfast fan. Brunch, sure, but breakfast? Functioning that early in the morning is not exactly my thing. However, when you have a box of CSA goodies hanging out on the counter calling to you and leftover potatoes just about to sprout, you get to cooking.

These potatoes turn out crispy, the perfect accompaniment to normal, super soft breakfast foods, without losing their fresh-from-the-garden taste. Plus, leftovers mixed with a scoop of vegan yogurt turns into a delicious potato salad!

Meatless Mondays: Candied Kumquats (Two Ways)

Hello Darlings!

I always say that I should never be allowed in Whole Foods when I’m hungry. I go in for a few things on a list and walk out with a basket full of goodies I technically didn’t need. However, this time it worked out in my favor!

I spotted the cute little kumquats and knew I needed to have them; they’re in season now, so I know that they’d be perfectly tart and sweet. I always forget that kumquats are so sour, so when I popped one into my mouth and thought ‘this needs sugar’ I knew I had the idea for my recipe this week. I candy oranges and lemons often so why not kumquats? I am SO glad I did because this recipe (totally tooting my own horn) made candied kumquats one of my all-time favorite foods!

Meatless Monday: Pepper-Stuffed Artichokes

Hello Darlings!

Artichokes are EVERYWHERE right now, (yes, I know the reason why is because they’re in season!) but the look so deliciously deadly I thought I needed to bring a couple home. Deliciously deadly you say? Yes. Those little pokey leaves are a pain- literally- they draw blood! So be careful, but the pain is totally worth it!

Now, I like artichokes in every way, dips, steamed then dipped in butter, so I thought I’d try something different- stuff them. Stuffed artichokes are a bit more filling than just the leaves and the peppers give them a fresh, zesty pop!

Meatless Monday: Every Beet of My Heart Arugula Salad (Vegan)

Hello Darlings!

Okay, I admit it- this is the cheesiest recipe (and name) that exists on this blog and I ADORE it. With Valentine’s Day coming up red, pink, and white have everywhere and I knew I wanted to do something fun and festive as a side dish for the day set aside to celebrate our love (whether that is another person, or yourself it doesn’t matter!).  I spotted these gorgeous beets while perusing the produce section and my cheesy self turned on, “aww, every BEET of my heart.” Yep, that’s me- weirdo extraordinaire.

Meatless Monday: Dutch Apple Pie Pancakes

Hello Darlings!

A while back I shared a snap of a delicious breakfast I had up at my mom’s house on Instagram (not following me? Get on that!) and got quite a few requests for the recipe and I aim to please! These Dutch Apple Pie Pancakes are super simple and tasty; the recipe originally came from a friend of my mother’s but because I am incapable of leaving any recipe as is I added my own spin!

Meatless Monday: Hearty Winter Egg Cups

Hello Darlings!

I have been insanely busy this autumn and winter. For me being super busy usually involves me accidentally forgetting meals-especially breakfast. So, enter super easy, very delicious, prep ahead egg cups! This winter version is chock full of potatoes, onions, and mushrooms to give you energy and keep you full all morning.

Meatless Monday: Sautéed Tomato and Herb Summer Salad

Hello Darlings!

I am clinging to summer with two (very tight) fists. While hiking this weekend I noticed the leaves starting to fade into autumn’s very beautiful colors yet I kept telling the colors to “go away.” Seriously, my hiking companions must have thought I was crazy, but alas, I’m a summer girl. So with that being said I absolutely love the tastes of summer, the gorgeous colors of ripening tomatoes, the fresh tastes of herbs, and the deep greens of kale and spinach. So I’ve added them all together and created a Sautéed Tomato and Herb Summer Salad, which is tasty now and is sure to keep your belly happy in the upcoming fall months.

Meatless Monday: Blueberry-Lavender Jam Filled Ebelskivers

Hello Darlings!

While I absolutely love breakfast, I’m rarely creative when it comes to making my own on a daily basis. With the ingredient for this week’s Meatless Monday from A-Z challenge being jelly, I thought that it was the perfect time to stray from my go-to breakfasts! (If you’re wondering my standard breakfasts are half a cantaloupe filled with cottage cheese and cinnamon, and cage-free scrambled eggs cooked with coconut oil and peppers!) I happened to spot an ebelskiver pan at a thrift store here in Denver for six dollars- you seriously can’t beat that price- and I knew that I had to do ebelskivers this week, even if I did cheat a little bit and use jam instead of jelly!

Meatless Monday: Fig, Pear, and Brie Pizza on Cauliflower Crust

Hello Darlings!

I had been dying to try a cauliflower crust pizza; the thought of a dough-less pizza crust really intrigued me. So when I came across some gorgeous looking figs in the health foods store that begged to be paired with some delicious cheese I thought I would pick up a head of cauliflower and just run with it. I used the Vintage Mixer’s recipe for the actual cauliflower crust, but whipped up my own garlic sauce and topping combo.

Meatless Monday: Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Honey-Cashew Goat Cheese

Hello Darlings!

I may have actually done a little happy dance when I saw squash blossoms at the farmer’s market. (I choose to believe that this is why the sweetheart behind the veggies gave me an extra bunch for free, but I digress.) Flowers to me are a perfect dessert food; I love sugared violets and honeysuckle anything is just delicious. So while I love the more savory stuffed squash blossoms with tart goat cheese and herbs fried in oil, I wanted to try my hand at sweetening the typical goat cheese and forgoing the frying. What I wound up with were fun little mouthfuls of flowers stuffed with sweet cream. Delectable.

Meatless Monday: Grilled Summer Salad

Hello Darlings!

There is something about grilling that just screams ‘summer.’ So when I was gifted (thanks ‘rents!) the Le Creuset Skinny Grill that I featured on my Birthday Wishlist, I knew that I wanted to put it to use ASAP. One of my favorite summer meals is a grilled salad, which works perfectly with this week’s Meatless Monday from A-Z featured ingredient- heart of palm!

Meatless Monday: Peach Aioli by Sweat the Sweet Stuff +Giveaway Winner Announced!

Hello Darlings!

It is cook week over on Meatless Mondays from A-Z! Every other week participants can choose to recreate another blogger’s submitted recipe. When I spotted Lauren from Sweat the Sweet Stuff’s Peach Aioli I knew it was a must try- garlic and fresh peach? I’m sold.

  

Meatless Monday: Garlic-Basil Green Beans over Mushrooms and Quinoa

Hello Darlings!

I’m quite vocal about being a list fanatic. So when it comes to recipe planning it should come as no surprise that I have multiple lists of dishes and ingredients that I think would taste delicious together. Normally, I look over all of my lists while planning a post, but this week’s Meatless Monday went a little differently. While I was browsing my lists (I do happen to have multiple notebooks of them) I was throwing together ingredients for a quick dinner, I looked down and realized that I was whipping up a simple, vegan dish for this week’s MMAZ ingredient, garlic, no lists required. Ironic.

Happy Birthday America: Fourth of July Posts Roundup

Hello Darlings!

Happy Fourth of July! My week of holiday themed posts has come to an end so I thought I would do a little round-up of the last week!

Summer Drink Series: Watermelon-Basil Gin Refresher

Meatless Monday: Blueberry Salsa Served with Food Should Taste Good Chips + Giveaway!

Hello Darlings!

I am loving prepping for the Fourth of July, so I knew I had to do a special patriotic Meatless Monday this week. And is there anything more American than red, white, and blue salsa made with blueberries grown in the US? I think not. This recipe is both super simple and very delicious, perfect for whipping together the morning of your Fourth of July Barbeque! (Giveaway at the end of this post! (now closed))

Ingredients:

- 1 Pint Blueberries

- 2 Red Peppers, Diced

- 1/2 Red Onion, Diced

- 2 Jalapeños, Diced (Wear gloves while cutting these- their oils can burn!)

- 3 Tablespoons Cilantro, Finely Chopped

- 1 Teaspoon Salt

- Juice of One Lemon

Combine all ingredients, mix well, making sure to squish some of the blueberries- it’s as simple as that!

The best way to serve a delicious homemade salsa is with a brand of chips known for being made with high-quality ingredients and by a health conscious company. I was lucky enough to receive a sample box of four varieties of Food Should Taste Good chips just as I was dreaming up the blueberry salsa, perfect timing if I do say so myself!

I served the blueberry salsa with Food Should Taste Good’s Cantina tortilla chips. Made with only three ingredients, they are simple but incredibly delicious and have a super satisfying crunch! Certified vegan, you know you’re not putting something harmful into your body.

Of course, I couldn’t just stop at serving one variety of delicious chips; I had to try the additional three flavors I was sent. Thank goodness I did! Here is a quick rundown on my thoughts on the Multigrain, Olive, and Kettle Cooked Sweet Potato varieties!

Multigrain:

This is the variety that that originally got me hooked on Food Should Taste Good chips. I tried them out at my local store and loved that they were certified vegan, gluten free, and all natural. I know that some people assume that when you take gluten and animal products out of some foods they can taste bland, but with Food Should Taste Good the opposite effect is achieved. The chips are flavorful, slightly sweet, perfectly seasoned, and like the other Food Should Taste Good varieties has that all-satisfying crunch.

Olive:

I hadn’t tried Food Should Taste Good’s Olive variety until this week. Boy was I missing out! These are my new favorite! Made with black, green, and kalamata olives, garlic, and sea salt, they have a delicious, savory Mediterranean taste that would go perfectly with hummus. (Or you can eat practically the whole bag, by yourself, plain, like I did.) This variety is also all natural, gluten free, certified vegan, low sodium, cholesterol free, and has no trans fats; how is that for being super healthy on top of being delicious!?

Kettle Cooked Sweet Potato Chips:

I am a bit of a sweet potato connoisseur. If I am going to eat something that is made with sweet potatoes it has to be top notch. Often, I feel that many brands of sweet potato chips I’ve tried have been overly greasy and not very fresh tasting. Leave it up to Food Should Taste Good chips to break the mold! Being kettle cooked cuts the grease, and leaves a crunchy, crisp chip. Made only with sweet potato, sunflower oil, and sea salt, the Gluten free, certified vegan chips taste fresh in their simplicity, really letting the sweetness of all natural sweet potatoes steal the show. These are, by far, the best variety of sweet potato chips I have ever tried. Officially addicted.

Now that I’ve raved about how great the Food Should Taste Good brand chips are how would you like to win a sample box of your own? The folks at Food Should Taste Good are graciously providing a sample box of chips for one of my readers (US Residents only, sorry!) to win! To enter follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter Widget below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was not compensated for this post, however I was provided with a sample box of Food Should Taste Good chips for testing. The opinions are all my own.

Meatless Monday: Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad with Rosemary-Lemon Vinaigrette

Hello Darlings!

I love when there are sales on squash. With my sweettooth’s  voracious appetite, anything that is sweet *and* healthy is a great find.  Both butternut and kabocha squash varieties are super sweet, healthy, and are delicious roasted (and we know my long-lasting obsession with roasted veggies), so I picked up one of each and decided to base a meal around them. I added filling quinoa, some sunflower seeds for their good fats, and a rosemary-lemon vinaigrette to cut a bit of the sweetness.

Meatless Monday: Spiced Eggplant Chips

Hello Darlings!

It is 'cook' week for Meatless Mondays from A-Z with Better With Veggies! I decided to try Laura from Sprint to the Table's super simple but super delicious recipe for eggplant chips. Because the full (very brief) recipe is over on Laura's page, and I followed her instructions to the letter (minus the seasoning) this post is going to be very picture heavy, but hey, you really can't go wrong with food porn pictures!

Meatless Monday: Broiled Eggplant Hummus

Hello Darlings!

I am finally back on track and participating in BetterWithVeggies’ Meatless Monday from A-Z! This week’s ingredient is eggplant. Ever so excited, I popped over to Sprouts Farmer’s Market and they had some gorgeous organic eggplants on sale- fabulous timing! I had also been craving hummus, which, for me, is quite odd as I have an (very well documented) aversion to oddly textured foods, so I challenged myself to create an incredibly smooth eggplant hummus. And while hummus is a very simple, very standard recipe, I added a couple of twists and was very pleased with the result!

Meatless Monday: Blueberry-Lavender Almond Milk

Hello Darlings!

I hate cow’s milk, always have. Which really is a bit odd knowing my (more than) slight obsession with just about any cheese I can get my hands on, but never the less, I really just find milk unappetizing. Almond milk on the other hand? Fabulous. I wish that I had known about almond milk when I was younger, maybe then I wouldn’t have to constantly complain about being the short one in my family, but I digress. This week’s Meatless Monday from A-Z’s ingredient was blueberries, which I love. I very rarely use fresh berries while cooking, because they tend to go missing- the normal ‘I’ll just nibble on (insert ingredient here) while I’m cooking’ ends up more along the lines of ‘crap, I need to head back to the store for more.’ However, this week I got on top of my self-control issues and ended up with Blueberry-Lavender Almond milk.

Meatless Monday: Pestoed Mushroom-Stuffed Baked Avocados

Hello Darlings!

After a brief hiatus, darling Heather from Better With Veggies has brought back her Meatless Mondays from A-Z challenge for round two! We are back to the beginning of the alphabet and this week, A is for Avocado.

I happen to like avocados. They are full of good fats, lots of vitamins and nutrients, and are colloquially referred to as alligator pears- a pretty fabulous name if I do say so myself. However, as much as a foodie as I am, I’m quite weird about texture. Avocados are one of the foods that I love the taste of, but really hate how they feel in my mouth. Normally, I get around avocado’s texture by mashing them and adding a bit of crunch with veggies in my homemade guacamole or pairing slices of them in salads with croutons or carrots. But MMAZ was meant to draw bloggers out of their comfort zones, and so I decided to do just that, and my Pestoed Mushroom-Stuffed Baked Avocados were dreamt up. And surprisingly, baked avocado doesn’t give me a texture complex.