Fresh Pasta Sauce

I stopped by a friends place the other night and it smelled of pasta. Yum. I know it was a meat sauce but it was enough to give me a craving for pasta so I whipped this up to satisfy it. I used red lentils instead of buying ground round and used rice noodles instead of traditional wheat noodles. I wanted the meal to be gluten free and fresh. :)

Fresh Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

4 medium size tomatoes

15 mushrooms, sliced

3 tsp basil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 onion, diced

1 cup red lentils, cooked

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Dice 1 tomato and blend the other 3 with the basil and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth. Saute onions, garlic and mushrooms in sauce pan with 1 tbsp of grape seed oil until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Serve on top of your favorite pasta. I used rice noodles to make it gluten free!

SO yummy!!! It was fresh and tasty. Full of flavour. And gluten free! weeeeeeee! I love eating gluten free, and the last time I ate pasta I didn't feel so hot so I opted for rice noodles. Fresh basil would have been better but I forgot to pick it up when I was getting the tomatoes. Oh well. So I used dried.

Give it a go! I know summer is right around the corner, and I usually avoid carbs like this like the plague but after my baddass race and the fact that I'm kinda sick (almost gone) I figured a little cheat meal wouldn't hurt nobody. Also picked me up some Endangered Species dark chocolate too. :)

Peace

xoxo

K

Let's get Veguated! Dairy edition: Quickie Vegan Mac & Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of the biggest comfort meals out there. Cheese is one of the reasons for many vegetarians who want to go vegan but say they can’t give it up. I get it. Cheese is delicious. I will never deny that.  But dairy is not all that it’s cracked up to be. Here’s a little info on dairy and its effect on the body:

 We are the only species in the world who drinks another’s bodily fluids. That’s weird for me. Animals drink a mother’s milk to get maximum nutrition to grow a healthy, strong body. We are all then weaned off milk and begin eating solid food.  Cow’s milk is meant to grow a 400 pound cow not a 150 pound human. Hmmmm.

 Many cultural backgrounds are lactose intolerant in some degree. African American, Hispanic and Asian are almost all intolerant of dairy. It has historically not been a major part of these diets. The incidents of osteoporosis, cancer and diabetes are the lowest in countries that do not consume much dairy. And only since the addition of dairy to their diets has the rates of these ailments been on the rise.

 We have always been told that we need to drink 3 glasses of milk per day to grow strong bones, keep them strong and ward off osteoporosis. It is true, dairy has lots of calcium. I will refute that but it is highly acidic. Our bodies are very efficient and when we eat something that is acidic our body automatically reacts to regulate our blood ph. It does this by releasing calcium from the bones. So every time we have dairy, we put calcium in and then take it out. That’s not exactly how I want my body to operate.

 Calcium per 100 gram serving:

·         Butter 20 grams

·         Whole Milk 118 grams

·         Chickpeas 150 grams

·         Collard greens 203 grams

·         Parsley 203 grams

·         Soy beans 226 grams

·         Almonds 226 grams

·         Sesame seeds 1,160 grams

Woah! Sesame seeds are a star provider! Jeez. Good to know! Sprinkle those little seeds on your salads, soups, or eat some hummus and you get a huge load of calcium. J

 Dairy is also very addictive. It contains casein which breaks down into casomorhins....as in morphine. This has an opiate effect on your body which makes you feel all awesome, relaxed and happy. Casein is even more concentrated in cheese which explains why people are so passionate about it. And I was DEF passionate about my cheese. I was never a milk drinker but cheese? OMG. LOVE. Especially blue cheese and Borsin. Mmmmm. Casomorphins are designed to make the calf feel all warm and fuzzy so that they bond more with its mother and want to drink more milk. This way it can grow and get strong.

 Consumption of dairy is also linked to asthma, allergies, hormone irregularities and heart disease. So get off the dairy or at least cut if down significantly. Try daiya....its the BEST vegan cheese I’ve ever had. OK well there’s my rant about dairy, I could go on more but I think this is enough. LOL So here’s an easy recipe to get you into your dairy free life!

 Quickie vegan mac and cheese

Ingredients
1 cup almond milk
2 cups cheddar daiya
½ tsp veggie stock
1 tsp chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring almond milk to a light boil. Add remaining ingredients and stir until the cheese has melted. Once melted and well combined toss with your choice of pasta.  Cooking time is about 5 minutes.  This sauce makes enough for 2-3 servings, depending on how much sauce you like. J

I sriracha'ed the ish outta this dish too! Mmmmm.

Peace

xoxo

K

A gluten free goddess meal: Spaghetti squash and homemade pasta sauce

I picked up a spaghetti squash a couple days back and finally decided to give it a shot. I've heard of people using spaghetti squash as a noodle substitute and have been so curious to try it. I baked my squash the night before so I could save some time in the preparation. I baked it like I do any other squash, skin up and with no oil. At 375.

Veggie Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

2 small zucchini, diced half moon

1/2 onion

1 carrot, diced

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 handfuls spinach, chopped

6 or 7 mushrooms, sliced

2 large tomatoes

4 roma tomatoes

2 tsp basil

2 tsp chili flakes

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup water

2 tsp tomato paste

Directions:

1. Pulse the 2 large tomatoes in a food processor or blender. If you want to use store bought tomato sauce you can, but this way is better.

3. Pan fry the onions and garlic in 1/4 cup water until translucent. Add the carrots and celery. Cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Taste and add any additional seasonings you like. I found it perfect with just the basil and little bit of salt.

5. Serve with your favorite pasta or with roasted spaghetti squash like me for a nice gluten free meal!

Roasted spaghetti squash

Pot of goodness

A complete meal

I sprinkled some sesame and hemp seeds on top for good measure. So my verdict on spaghetti squash noodles is this: they are good, they feel like noodles in your mouth, they taste good, and are relatively filling but for me, not enough. I did have a cup of quinoa and the pasta sauce after because I was hungry again. I would def do this meal again though, but I'd add something with a little more substance like portobella mushrooms and/or quinoa and/or sweet potatoes. Mmmm sweet potatoes. 

On Monday night for the Bachelor I went to my friend Brooke's house for dins. She made me a gorgeous roasted veggie enchilada dish. OMG it was so damn yummy! And vegan. And gluten free! BAM. I'm not a huge fan of corn tortillas, they can be so dry sometimes but in this dish they were phe-nom!  Brooke got the recipe from here and I got it from her so I can make this again. It would def be one of those meals to cook for an omnivore because its super yummy and filling. Even though its light tasting. 

Here's the pic of Brooke's. YUMMERLY.

Looks good right? I'm so lucky to have such awesome friends. Some people think its such a daunting task to cook/eat with a vegan, but its really not that hard. There are a plethora of veggies out there to eat. With even more combo's to make such yummy, nourishing food. I think I can vouch for that. Lol The only thing Brooke changed in that recipe was that she used Daiya instead of real cheese. Daiya is vegan and allergen free. Its the best fake cheese out there fo sho. 

I'm currently reading 2 books but this one is really fascinating so far. Well they both are but I'm on the whole wheat/gluten free kick so this one is hitting home. Check it out!

Peace

xoxo

K

Italian Stallion Pasta Sauce

I made a big pot of pasta sauce recently, HUGE in fact. I don't eat pasta, like ever, but recently went to an Italian restaurant for my works Christmas party so I had a hankering. I didn't follow a recipe and I didn't write it down. BUT I remember it mostly.

Italian Stallion Pasta Sauce

8 tomatoes, half diced, half blended
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 large onion
2 garlic bulbs, roasted
3 small zucchini, diced small
4 celery, diced small
1 handful fresh basil
3 tsp dried basil
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1 small can tomato paste

Directions
1. I washed, chopped and blended 4 of the tomatoes with 4 ladles of water. I put the fresh basil in too.
2. Add everything except the blended tomatoes, spices and tomato paste to a big pot and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add a ladle of water if needed to prevent sticking.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 1 hour at a simmer.
4. Season with more spices if needed and serve with your favorite pasta.

I served mine with linguine which was on top of some steamed greens. I sauteed kale and pea shoot leaves with garlic, ginger, lemon and sea salt. YUM

A light and refreshing meal that is quite filling. Very Mediterranean tasting.

This recipe made boats loads of pasta sauce. Well boat loads for me because I live alone. So I froze it. Love that. My freezer is full of containers of soups, chili's, stews and such. Makes for easy lunches.

Peace

xoxo

K

What the Fig??

My work has gone fig crazy! They loved my fig-a-licious dip and have devoured it every time I've made it; which is twice. I got a big bag of fresh figs again from a coworker and asked to come up with a fig dip for someone who can't eat nuts. So I did. Plus I made one with nuts.

What the Fig dip

- 4 fresh figs
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Roast figs and garlic for 30 minutes. Wrap garlic in tin foil. Figs do not need to be wrapped.
2. Caramelize the red onion by frying it in a pan with enough olive to coat the onions and a bit extra for about 15 minutes or until brown
3. Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth

YUM!!!

I also had a hankering for pasta.

Creamy Potato Spaghettini

- 1 red potato, sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 5 shitake mushrooms, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 kale stalks, leaves removed
 1 tsp dry veggie stock
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp seat salt
- 2 tbsp chili flakes
- 4 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp cornstarch, mixed with cold water
pepper

1. Boil potato and carrots until soft
2. Drain and put aside
3. Use a tablespoon of olive oil and fry the garlic and the mushrooms for 3 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the cornstarch. Add 1/2 cup water and cool for 10 minutes.
5. Add cornstarch mixture and cook until it thickens.
6. Serve on top of whole grain spaghettini noodles and enjoy!

This was some goooood pasta. Very satisfying indeed.

I finally opened one of the new bottles of wine I got from a friend as a gift. Its from Napa Valley. Its from Duckhorn Vineyards in Napa Valley and is a Cabernet Sauvignon from 2007. It is DELISH.

Anyways, I'm off to bed.

Peace

xoxo

K

More food porn for your prying eyes

On Tuesday I had a craving for pasta. A friend at work had one, a meat one, and caused me to want the saucy noodles in my mouth. lol SO that being said, I HAD to make pasta last night. I did the usual working out. Mostly a leg workout and a 30 minute jog on the seawall. GORGE.

I think of pasta as a everything but the kitchen sink dish. You can pretty much put anything in it, sauce it up and it will be good. Since I'm going to Vic this weekend I didn't do much grocery shopping so I used what I had.

1 sweet potato, chopped
1/4 onion, diced
2 stalks kale, stalks removed
Half bag of spinach
1 can chickpeas
3/4 can 680ml Hunts tomato sauce
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
LOTS of Sriracha (I like it HOT)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pan fry onions in a tsp of olive oil for 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and 1/4 cup water, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Add chickpeas, kale, spinach, celery and tomato sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add spices and cook for 2 minutes.

Toss with whole grain pasta, rice pasta, or zucchini noodles. At the very least make sure its whole wheat. BUT whole grain is the way to go. Whole wheat still acts similar in the body as white bread. And by that I mean its so processed that it turns to sugar in your body and spikes your blood sugar. Constant spiking of blood sugar is not a good work out for the pancreas.

Here's what it looked like. SO tasty.

As you may or may not remember. I stole some fresh figs from a friend at work. Well she brought them for us to eat. I took 4 to play with. I made a spread. I wanted it to go on a crostini but I was too lazy and effin starving to walk to Safeway, so I picked up some rice crackers at No frills. PS I LOVE no frills. Deals galore. I challenge anyone to a shop off who thinks Safeway is cheaper than no frills. lol

These things look freaky. I can't eat them fresh, they look like worms. lol

Here's the recipe:

Fig-a-licious Spread
4 fresh figs
3 garlic cloves
50 grams walnuts (1/2 100g bag)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil

1. Coat figs and garlic in olive oil. Wrap garlic in tin foil
2. Sprinkle sea salt over figs and place face down on tin foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
3. Put figs, garlic and walnuts into a food processor. Blend for 1 minute or until smooth.
4. Put on a cracker, crostini, or bread and have a love affair.

This dip did not look appealing. BUT it is surprisingly tasty!!! Try it! I'm def making it again. This weekend. I'm thinking about it now. Probs cause I'm starving.

Oh yah, I did laundry last night. Ho hum. I accidentally dried a LBD (little black dress) and it is now a LBS (little black shirt) lol! Well it could be a REALLY short dress or a long shirt. HA

I'm off to hang with some girlfriends. Gonna stuff our faces with some Indian food. I get a night off cooking. What a treat!

My jams: Sophie Ellis Bextor - Off and On, The Saturdays - Notorious, Example - Natural Disaster and Jay Z and Kanye - Who gon stop me

PS I have a new challenge, make some kid friendly healthy recipes. What do kids eat? lol any ideas? Should be fun!

Peace!

xoxo

K