Napa Cabbage Lettuce Wraps

Napa Cabbage Lettuce Wraps with Glazed Tempeh and Spicy Mayonnaise

I LOVE lettuce wraps!  They're crunchy, salty, messy, and delicious...kinda like an Asian version of the Sloppy Joe, where you know it's good if it's running down your hand!  My sister, Summer, gave me her lettuce wrap recipe, got me hooked, and then I came up with a few alterations of my own!  Thanks sis!  They're so good, that even my husband (a notorious meat and potatoes kinda guy), will eat these and not complain about it!  If you don't try these, you're just plain crazy!

The Spicy Mayo:

4 T. vegenaise mayonnaise
1 T. sriracha (you can find this in the Asian section of your market)

Now, I like things to have a kick, so if you're sensitive to spice, start with 1 t., taste it, and work your way up from there.

The filling:

2 T. sesame oil
1 T. lime juice
2 t. fresh ginger (the fresh ginger in the tube is okay too...sometimes I get lazy and use it)
4 T. low sodium soy sauce
4 T. agave nectar
1 T. garlic powder
1 t. ground ginger powder
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped into rough pieces
1 bag of organic broccoli slaw

Whisk together in a saute pan, (except the chestnuts and slaw) and bring to a boil.  Simmer on med/high heat for 1 minute, and add water chestnuts.  Reduce heat to medium and saute for a couple of minutes, so the flavor soaks in. (1-2 minutes)

Add entire bag of Broccoli Slaw and simmer until slaw is softened, yet still crunchy.  (3-5 minutes, depending on your preference)

Note:

You can add fresh chopped pineapple to this too...it's really good!

While your slaw is sauteing, cut the bottom of the Napa Cabbage off, and gently rinse leaves, leaving whole.  Spin or pat dry, and set aside for assembly.

Here is your order of assembly:

Napa Cabbage
Slaw filling 
Spicy Mayo

Optional toppings:

Asian Glazed Tempeh (recipe is in another blog post)
Mung Bean Sprouts
Sliced Green Onions
La Choy Rice Noodles
Chopped peanuts or cashews (unsalted for both)
Sesame Seeds

Find some frozen vegetarian spring rolls to complete this meal, and revel in the fact that you're eating a meal that is centered around so many veggies!! (That tastes better than amazing...PLUS you made it!)

Asian Glazed Tempeh

Asian Glazed Tempeh!

"Coconut Macaroon" Energy Balls

Oh man these are good!!  Here's a warning: if you have problems with self-control, it is not advised that you use this recipe!  This is my healthy version of a coconut macaroon, designed because I'm pregnant and I was craving one...however...with pregnancy, you gain weight for just looking at something like that, so I decided to come up with a healthy alternative!

1 T. coconut oil
1/2 c. agave nectar

Put in a pan and bring to a boil.  Boil for a minute or 2, but be careful not to burn!  Set aside to cool somewhat.

1/4 c. walnuts
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. rye flakes (looks like oatmeal, but made from rye)
1/2 c. raw, shredded coconut, unsweetened

Use a little food processor or a spice grinder (coffee grinder) to grind these ingredients into a "powder".  (It won't be completely smooth like flour, but it will no longer resemble whole bits of food either.)

Place in a bowl along with:

1/4 c. raw, shredded coconut
4 T. cocoa powder
4 T. ground flax seeds
2 T. whole wheat flour

Mix together with the "sauce" you boiled above, and mix into a stiff dough. 

Add:

2 T. vegan chocolate chips (I use the "Enjoy Life" brand, because they're amazing and tiny...perfect for this)

Mix and let rest for a minute or so, while you grab some aluminum foil to put them on.

Take a teaspoon of the dough and roll into a ball, and repeat with the remaining amount of dough.

I got 15 teaspoon-sized balls. 

If you don't want to wait until the balls set up at room temp, put them in the fridge...and if you're REALLY impatient (like I was), put them in the freezer for a few minutes!!

I also flattened some of them into "cookies" and baked them at 350 for 7 minutes.  Once cooled, they were great little cookies!

Note:  Agave doesn't spike your blood glucose levels like most other sweeteners, and I've paired them with the protein of nuts to stabilize it even more, as well as keep you fuller longer!  Rye is known to give energy, and the benefits of coconut are becoming extremely popular as well!  Chocolate is a known mood enhancer...and the combination of all these ingredients is something you can "trick" your kids into eating as something healthy, veiled as a dessert or treat!

Green Julia Smoothie

This is the most gorgeous smoothie you will ever see!  I ordered this smoothie when I was out with my sister and her husband, because the ingredients were so intriguing...let's just say this...if you need to trick your kids into eating spinach, here's the secret...put it in their smoothie!  Trust me, it tastes so incredible, that you'll be stealing drinks of theirs...I guarantee it!

This recipe will make about a full blender of this smoothie, and between my 2 girls and me, we drink it all!  If you're just doing this for yourself, cut the recipe in half, and have one today and one tomorrow...OR drink one now, and one later!!

What you need:

-2 bananas
-1 can of Thai Organic coconut milk (I don't get the reduced fat, because healthy fats are essential for good brain development, skin, hair, and cell management in your body...if you feel that you get plenty of good fats in your diet, feel free to use the reduced fat version of this milk, HOWEVER, it will be nowhere near as creamy!)
-1/2 c.-1 c. orange juice (something that's 100% juice, no sugar added)
-1 large bag of fresh spinach

Note:  Optional add ins that I use on a regular basis are:  ground raw sunflower seeds (for vitamin e and iron), 1/2 c. raw shredded coconut, 1/2 c. old fashioned oats, 1/8 c. flax seed, or any other kind of frozen fruit you may want to add.

I have actually weaned my kids off of the OJ in the smoothie, but if you're not picky about your kids having juice, that's cool too!  I just figured, if they'll drink it without the juice in it...that makes it even healthier!  Instead, I'll throw in 1 T. of agave nectar to sweeten it.

What to do:

Fill your blender with all of the ingredients except the spinach.  Put as much spinach in the blender as you can, and pulse until almost smooth.  Then add MORE spinach...until the blender is filled.  Pulse, and blend until smooth.  Your smoothie should be a gorgeous green color, and taste like an Orange Julius! (But WAY healthier, and no added sugar!)

Chill in the fridge, or serve over ice if you like your smoothies cold, but it's not necessary!

An idea:

When I have leftover smoothies, instead of throwing them away, I turn them into popsicles for the girls, and they think it's so cool when they get to have a popsicle whenever they want! (Not knowing that their popsicle actually is packed with vitamins, fiber, and minerals...AND spinach!!!)

Sweet Potato Lasagna

I know, I know...this sounds like a weird combination, and I was skeptical at first too, when my mom told me she had made a lasagna with sweet potatoes!  I almost didn't try it, because I just couldn't imagine any possible way that it would taste good...boy am I glad that I listened to my mom!!  (Do mothers ever lose their knack for being right?!)


The lasagna recipe is really simple (I actually cheat and use the meijer organic sauce instead of making my own! I like the garlic flavor or basil the best, but use whatever your favorite sauce is (read the label first tho, just to make sure it's not loaded with junk!))

You'll need:

8x8 pan
-1 box of lasagna noodles (I use the gluten free brown rice noodles, but whole wheat is fine too)
-2 jars of spaghetti sauce
-3 large sweet potatoes
-1 8oz package of sliced baby bella mushrooms (or your favorite ones)
-fresh spinach
-garlic powder (not salt)
-dried basil, oregano, and thyme
-panko bread crumbs
-extra virgin olive oil
-nutritional yeast (optional)

This is what you do:

Preheat oven to 425

-Peel sweet potatoes and cut into chunks (doesn't matter what size, but the smaller they are, the less time they'll take to roast!)
-Place them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle garlic powder, basil, oregano, and thyme...I like a LOT of flavor, so I go heavy on the herbs...probably 2 T of the garlic powder, and 3 T of each of the dried herbs.
-Toss the potatoes in the oil and herbs to coat evenly, and put in the oven to roast for 30-40 mins (or until soft enough to mash)
-When they come out of the oven, mash them with a potato masher, or if you don't have that, a fork will do just fine...they don't have to be perfect...in fact, if there are a few chunks, it adds texture :)
-Chop mushrooms up (you can actually put them in whole if you want...I just like them smaller because they distribute easier!)

-In an 8x8 pan, start by pouring enough sauce in the bottom to coat it (this keeps the noodles from sticking)
-Layer noodles, uncooked (I think you can get 4 in if you overlap a bit)
-Put mashed sweet potatoes on noodles
-Then a good thick layer of spinach (it wilts a ton when cooked)
-Then mushrooms
-Pour sauce on top and repeat the layer again, beginning with noodles
-End with sauce on top (you'll use about 1 1/2 jars of sauce)

-Cover and bake at 350 until the noodles are cooked...I actually over-baked mine, so I'd check it after 1 hr...and then maybe every 30 mins after that!

Now you're going to make the "cheese topping":

1 c. of the Panko bread crumbs
1 T. each:
oregano
basil
garlic powder
1 t. salt
pepper to taste
1/8 c. nutritional yeast (optional)...you'll find this in a health food store, usually with the supplements or protein mixes...it's super high in B vitamins and minerals, and gives things a "cheesy" taste. I also use it in smoothies, vegan french toast, and the mac n "cheese" I make for the kids...so there are other applications for it if you choose to get it :)

Put that all into a bowl, and drizzle with enough olive oil to get the spices to stick to the crumbs...taste them, if you like the flavor, leave them, if you think it needs more flavor, add more :)

Sprinkle this on the top of your lasagna once it's baked, and place it under the broiler on low until you get a nice golden look to it.

That's it!

Seems like a lot of steps, but it's really quite simple.

Make sure you let the lasagna rest for a bit before serving, so that all the juices absorb and it's not runny!

Here's a great accompaniment to the lasagna...homemade garlic toast!

If you can find the Arnie's brand Multigrain French Loaf, that's be your best bet...otherwise, any type of good multigrain french loaf will do!

Cut lengthwise, and spread generously with extra virgin olive oil.
Sprinkle 1 T of the following on EACH half:
garlic powder
basil
oregano
italian seasonings (if you have it, if not, that's fine too)
And then 1 t of salt on each half

Bake for about 5 mins on 350, until the bottom is crispy, then finish under the low broiler until top is golden :)

Vegan Chili

Chili is one of the all time best comfort foods in my opinion!  It's warm, hearty, and has a full, well-rounded flavor that makes your mouth water just thinking of it!  Nothing says fall or winter better than a nice, big bowl of chili, and a side of corn bread!  This is a blend of 2 amazing recipes, from 2 amazing people...my mom, who has been a HUGE inspiration for my love of kitchen (and who also has some of the BEST recipes known to man!)...and my sister, who has been my counterpart in learning to cook as healthy as possible!  Between the 3 of us, we are always trying something new, and then passing it on!

1 med white or yellow onion, chopped
1 full head of fresh garlic, minced (or chopped if you don't have a mincer)
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped finely (if you don't like spicy, skip this, if you REALLY like spicy, leave the seeds in it!)
1-2 c. carrots, sliced (or just buy a bag of shredded carrots and throw them in if you hate cutting carrots as much as I do!!)

Saute this in a little bit of oil with 1 package of low sodium taco seasoning or low sodium chili seasoning, until onions are transparent.

Add:
1 large jug of V8 (whichever variety you prefer...I typically do the low sodium or the spicy!)
2 large can of petite diced tomatoes
1 can of chili beans (don't drain them, just dump them all in)
1 can of kidney beans (drain them and rinse them before adding)
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed as well)
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/2 t. cumin
2 T. chili powder
1 T. garlic powder

You can leave the chili as is, and let it simmer for a while on low, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn...OR you could add some or all of these things:

2-3 zucchini, chunked
1-2 c. of frozen corn
2 c. prepared barley or brown rice

I like mine with a lot of veggies, and when I don't make it too spicy, the kids will eat it this way too!

Top with fresh cut avocado, green onions, tortilla chip pieces, and a dollop of vegan cream cheese (Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese).

Serve with corn bread muffins with the following substitutions:

whole wheat flour
agave nectar
coconut oil or applesauce
almond milk

(buy the cornmeal, not the pre-boxed mixes, because they tend to add a lot of sugar to those...otherwise, just follow the recipe on the bag)

Try adding in:
1/4 c. chopped jalapenos
1/4 c. thawed, frozen corn

Banana Muffins

Having a batch of muffins (healthy ones) around the house can be a lifesaver!  Instead of grabbing for empty calories when you're hungry and on the go, you can satisfy your hunger with these moist, sweet, hearty muffins, and give your body a boost of high quality energy that will last!

Preheat your oven to 350

3-4 extremely ripe bananas
1/2 c. agave nectar, sucanat, or coconut granules
1 "egg" (1 eggs worth of egg replacer)
1/3 c. applesauce (or coconut oil if you don't want them low fat)

Mash all these ingredients together until they are well incorporated.

Add:
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt (I typically just skip the salt, but do what you want!)
1 T. cinnamon
1 1/2 c. flour (Bobs Red Mill 10 grain or King Arthurs White Whole Wheat)

Mix until the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, but don't over-stir...it'll kill the rising powers of the baking soda and powder!

Load into greased muffin tins...your batter will be pretty thick, don't worry, it's supposed to be!  This recipe should make 12 muffins.

Bake for 20 mins, or until a toothpick to the center of one comes out clean. Leave in the muffin tins for 10 mins before removing them and switching them to a cooling rack.

Note:  Sometimes I add chocolate chips to these :)  When I do, I usually cut the sweetener in half, so just 1/4 c. of sweetener, and then do 1/2 c. of chocolate chips (I use the "Enjoy Life" brand)...if you want to keep them as healthy as possible, but you still want a little chocolate fix, omitting some of the sweetener is a great way to get the best of both worlds!