Red Beans and Rice in the Pressure Cooker

Happy Marti Gras to all!

I LOOOOVE red beans and rice.  I hadn't tried it before Kevin and I took our (belated) honeymoon vacation cruise out of Houston, TX last May.  Once we returned home, I knew I needed to make a homemade version so I could have this comforting, spicy, and delicious dish at home whenever I wanted.  I came up with my Vegan Red Beans and Rice dish back in June, but since then I have gotten my beloved Instant Pot pressure cooker and needed to adapt the recipe.

This weekend, Kevin and I took a trip to a cute nearby town called Port Townsend.  Kevin really wanted to try a Southern-inspired restaurant there, called Addie Mae's Southern Kitchen, that his parents had told him about, and we thought it would be a nice day to walk around Fort Worden.  It ended being a beautiful, mostly sunny day.  We ended up getting in over 3 miles of hiking around!  We hadn't been back here since we first started dating (four years ago almost to the day), so we took a before and after picture.

Before in February 2011.  Kevin was quite beardless, and I haven't aged a bit... right? ;)

After 4 years together.  The water in the background is part of the Puget Sound where our Alaskan Cruise ship will be passing through come August.  I'm so excited to have another awesome vacation with this guy to look forward to!

At Addie Mae's, Kevin had his chicken and waffles he had been wanting so badly, while I settled on the vegetarian red beans and rice.  Expecting something similar to what I make, it actually came with a whole lot of rice, topped with some beans and veggies.  Perhaps there are different ways to make and serve it, but I prefer my version with a whole lot of beans with some rice mixed in.  Maybe that is from 4+ years of being a Nutritarian, my brain is rewired to prefer more beans than rice!

Addie Mae's version of (vegetarian) Red Beans and Rice.  I did enjoy the bigger chunks of
vegetables, although I wouldn't be able to make it like that at home and expect Kevin to eat it.
I was not a huge fan of how much rice it had.
This version used large red kidney beans, but I prefer the small red beans.
 I also needed to add quite a bit of hot sauce to it.

So, last night, in the spirit of Marti Gras (and wanting to remember how great the bean-heavy version of red beans and rice is), I decided to make my version in my Instant Pot.  Because the IP cooks so quickly, I added a bit more spices than the original stove top recipe, and because it limits evaporation, I cut the liquids down quite a bit.

Red Beans and Rice
Time: 5 minute prep, 8 minutes high pressure, natural pressure release
Servings: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

This is what small red beans look like
before soaking.  Kevin was nice enough
 to get them soaking on his day off
(lucky teachers!) while I was at work.
He had to send me a picture to confirm
that he was picking the right ones.
You could most certainly use red
kidney beans, but you would need to
adjust the cooking time a bit.

        1 lb small red beans, soaked (quick or overnight - see note below), drained, and rinsed
        1 yellow onion, finely chopped
        1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
        3 celery stalks, finely chopped
        4 cloves garlic, minced (approximately 1 Tbsp)
        3 cups vegetable broth (boiling if possible)
        1 1/2 cups boiling water
        1.5 Tbsp chili powder
        1.5 tsp smoked paprika
        1.5 tsp dried thyme
        1 tsp dried oregano
        1 tsp dried parsley
        2 bay leaves
        1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
        Fresh ground black pepper to taste

        cooked brown rice
        green onions
        Louisiana hot sauce
        nutritional yeast

Instructions:
1.)  While you are prepping the other ingredients, bring the water and vegetable broth to a boil in a large saucepan.  Cover until you are ready to use.  In a pressure cooker, if you add boiling liquids, it will help it come up to high pressure sooner.  (See my notes below.)

2.)  In a heated pressure cooker, saute the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic until lightly cooked and browned, adding small amounts of water to prevent burning.

3.)  Add into the pressure cooker the beans, spices, and boiling vegetable broth and water, being careful to pour slowly as not to scald yourself.

4.)  Stir to combine well and lock the lid into place.  Set to high pressure for 8 minutes.  Once the timer is up, allow pressure to come down naturally (for the IP, warm or off setting will work).

5.)  After the pressure has come down, release the lid and stir.  Use an immersion blender, or blend a few cups of the beans and liquid in a high powered blender.  You will want the red beans to be creamy, but have chunks of beans and vegetables.

6.)  Serve hot topped with brown rice, and your favorite condiments like nutritional yeast, green onion, or Louisiana hot sauce.

Amy's Notes:

To soak the beans, measure out 1 lb and pick out any stones, sticks, or damaged dried beans.  Then put them in a large bowl and cover with at least two inches of water.  Allow to soak overnight or while you are at work.  Strain the beans and rinse thoroughly before beginning the recipe.

Alternatively, you can use the quick soak method in the Instant pot.  Measure out 1 lb and pick out any stones, sticks, or damaged beans.  Add them to your pressure cooker with enough water to cover.  Lock the lid in place and set to high pressure for 1 minute.  Wait until the pressure comes down naturally, then strain the beans and rinse thoroughly before beginning the recipe.

I have had success with both of these methods, but I prefer to soak my beans during the day, because it results in less time waiting around the kitchen to start making the meal.

As I mentioned in the instructions, it is helpful to bring the vegetable broth and water to a boil before adding it to the pressure cooker.  This is not necessary for the recipe, but will make bringing the pressure cooker to high pressure that much faster.  If you are not in any sort of time crunch, no need to bother.  This can be done to any recipe to make coming to pressure that much quicker.

Health and Happiness,

Cauliflower and Spinach Risotto

Have you ever had risotto?  Risotto is one of those dishes that I used to only be able to get at restaurants and would roll my eyes in ecstasy when I saw it on the menu.  Still to this day, my favorite dish at a restaurant ever is a Brasilian risotto at Kevin and my favorite restaurant near our college town.  We actually went there for our first date (4 years ago, today happens to be our 4 year dating anniversary :)).

Until recently, the fancy name and decadent nature of a risotto had me resigned to think of it as a restaurant only food.  No more!  In Jill Nussinow's amazing pressure cooking cookbook, The New Fast Food, she walks you through how perfectly easy and delicious making risotto at home can be.

To make the recipe below, I adapted her Basic Risotto recipe (page 53) to include cauliflower "rice", some of my favorite spices, and some frozen spinach (as she recommends on page 54).  I included cauliflower "rice" in this recipe 1.) to cut down on calories (aka so I can eat more of it), and 2.) to use up some cauliflower I had had in my fridge since last week.

Lately, I have been getting most of my produce from Costco, as I discussed in this post.  So, when I pick a veggie to eat, I generally need to commit to it, as they come in larger quantities from Costco.  I had had some steamed cauliflower for dinner the other day, but other than that, the cauliflower in my fridge wasn't calling my name, UNTIL, I remembered you can make "rice" with cauliflower!  I may not be into eating a full cup or so of cauliflower florets this week, but I can get onboard with "rice"!

This recipe is more strictly a Pressure Cooker recipe, as I have never made risotto without my IP.  If you give it a shot on the stovetop, please let me know how it goes and what times it took everything to cook!

Cauliflower and Spinach Risotto
Pressure Cooker Time: 5 minute prep, 5 minutes at pressure, quick release
Servings: 4 servings

 Ingredients:
        1/2 onion, finely chopped
        3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
        4 cups vegetable broth
        1+1/2 cup arborio rice
        1 tsp dried basil
        1/2 tsp dried parsley
        1/4 tsp white pepper (optional)

        2 cups uncooked "riced" cauliflower (directions here)
        1/2 cup water

        1-10oz package frozen spinach, defrosted and liquid squeezed out
        lemon juice and nutritional yeast to garnish

Instructions:
1.)  In a heated pressure cooker, saute the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, adding small amounts of water to prevent burning.
2.)  Add in the vegetable broth, arborio rice, and spices.  Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 3 minutes.
3.)  Quick release the pressure.
4.)  After the pressure has been release, take care to remove the lid, then stir in the "riced" cauliflower and additional 1/2 cup water.
5.)  Lock the lid in place again and cook at high pressure for 2 additional minutes.
6.)  Quick release the pressure.
7.)  Remove the lid and stir in the spinach.  Season with black pepper and lemon juice to taste.  Serve hot with some nutritional yeast sprinkled on top.

Amy's Notes:
For this recipe, the type of rice is very important!  Arborio rice is particularly for risotto, so traditional brown rice varieties won't work, at least not with the amount of time I suggested.

Once the recipe was done, I was super surprised not to taste the cauliflower at all.  I know it is there, but if I didn't make it, I wouldn't have known.  Yay for hidden veggies!

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Aztec Corn and Quinoa Chowder

Fun Fact: February 4th is National Homemade Soup Day!

I know.  I know.  It is the dead of winter and I'm giving you guys a corn chowder recipe!?  I was just craving that sweetness of summer today, and when looking through my fridge (and freezer), a big bag of frozen corn just called to me.  Of course, you can make this with fresh-off-the-cob corn, but make do with what you have.

I made this recipe in the pressure cooker, but it can easily be made in a crockpot or on the stovetop.  In the pressure cooker, this recipe only takes 6 minutes at pressure, with 10 minutes before a quick release, meaning dinner will be on the table in about 30 minutes.  For the crockpot, I would estimate it would need 6 hours on low.  On the stovetop, it should be done after simmering for 30 minutes or so.

Serve this chowder hot or cold, with a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce or salsa.  This would also be wonderful with a bit of pico de gallo, like this recipe here, or some fresh cilantro.

Aztec Corn Chowder with Quinoa
Pressure Cooker Time: approx. 30 minutes total
(5 minutes prep, 3 minute saute, 6 minutes high pressure, 10 minutes rest before quick pressure release)

Servings: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
        1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
        1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
        1 large potato (approx. 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
        4 cups frozen or fresh corn, 1 cup reserved
        1/2 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and drained
        1/2 cup dried quinoa, rinsed and drained
        1 bell pepper, deseeded and chopped (any color pepper)
        3 cups water
        3 cups vegetable broth
        1 Tbsp chili powder
        1 1/2 tsp dried coriander
        1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
        1 tsp dried oregano

Instructions:
1.)  In the pressure cooker, saute the onion for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
2.)  Add all of the other ingredients, spices, and liquids, EXCEPT 1 cup of corn.
3.)  Lock the lid in place and set to cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.  After the 6 minutes, cancel the warming feature and allow to sit for 10 minutes while the pressure comes down.  After 10 minutes, release any remaining pressure.
4.)  With an immersion blender, blend the chowder until it is halfway creamy (2 cups in a blender will work too), being careful not to over-process and make the potatoes taste gummy.
5.)  Lastly, stir in the reserved cup of corn until it has warmed up with the rest of the soup.  Serve hot or cold with hot sauce, salsa, vegan cheese or sour cream, pico de gallo, cilantro, green onion, lime, etc.

Amy's Notes:
Yum!  I really love this chowder!  I went back for another half of a bowl.  For me, a bit of salsa and hot sauce really brought the flavors all together.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Superbowl XLIX Recipe Roundup

Is everyone ready for the Superbowl this Sunday?  Obviously, being from Washington I am a Seahawks fan!  We are having some friends from Spokane visit us this weekend so they can come to Seattle to watch the game in a big bar with us.  Should be loud, fun, and exciting!

They aren't getting here until late late Saturday night, so earlier in the evening, I'm going to a local natural food market called Marlene's for a WFPB class hosted by Nina from Urban Vegan Chic.  Although, after 4 years of practicing a Nutritarian lifestyle, I know my way around the WFPB-block, you never know what new things you will learn.  I'm excited to have this opportunity to meet others in my community with similar interests.

Since moving to Puyallup in July, I have felt a little disconnected from not having any face-to-face plant-based support in my life.  (I'm a part of several facebook group centered around ETL, which are wonderful.)  My parents, when I lived in Spokane, were my nearby support where I could go for a meal and never have to worry about being served SAD foods or being challenge for my ideals.  Hopefully I can find some of that support through classes like these.  I'm optimistic. :)

Now on to the Superbowl... what are you going to make!?  Although we are going to be spending the day in Seattle for Superbowl, I ended up making some snackies for a work party and for Saturday snacking.  Here are a few of my favorite game-day dishes: (links to each recipe are included in the titles)

APPETIZERS

We ALL know that the best part of Superbowl is grazing on appetizers for a good portion of the day.  Keep yourself and your guests satisfied with these healthy appetizers alongside whole-grain chips/crackers and veggies.

Spicy Cajun Cauliflower Bites


Guacamole and Mexi-Salad


Pico De Gallo


Vegan Ranch Dip


Roasted Pine Nut Hummus (Mock Sabre Hummus)


Spicy Buffalo Hummus (This one is my favorite for game day with celery sticks!)


Whole Wheat Vegan Naan to go with hummus (Step-by-step instructions with pictures!)



Oil-Free Baked Falafels with this Tzatziki-like Dip



Baked Vegetable "Fries"


SIDES

Here are two of my favorite "side dishes" that would go well with Superbowl fare:

Spicy Macaroni Salad


Quick Collard Wraps


MAIN DISH

This is my absolute FAVORITE chili!  It cooks up quick and easy in a pressure cooker from dried beans, or can be done fairly quickly on the stovetop with canned beans.  This recipe will feed a small crowd, but it never lasts too long when we have friends over.

Three Bean Chili (Pressure Cooker Friendly)


DESSERT

Every Superbowl party has to have something sweet to go with all of the savory appetizers.  Try this dessert dip with apple slices or some whole wheat gram crackers.  It is sure to hit the sweet-spot!

Brownie Batter Dip



Health and Happiness,

Amy

Lentil and Wild Rice Pilaf

Pilaf... isn't that a fun word to say?  Pilaf.  A pilaf is essentially defined as a rice dish cooked in a seasoned broth which may also include vegetables (yay!) and meat (yuck! let's go with lentils instead.).

Last weekend Kevin and I took a trip north to Vancouver, BC for his Birthday (I'll share pictures in another post this week).  We had a great time, but probably spent a bit too much on dining out and at attractions, so we went into money saving mode this week.  For me, that means using up all the food in the fridge and being creative with our pantry staples on hand before thinking about grocery shopping.

Voila!  Lentil and Wild Rice Pilaf!

Lentil and Wild Rice Pilaf
Prep Time: 5 minutes (plus 30 minute soak)
Pressure Cooker Time: 5 minute saute, 9 minutes at high pressure, natural pressure release
(OR) Stovetop Cooking Time: 5 minute saute, 40 minutes simmering, 10 minutes resting
Servings: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
    Rice and lentils: soak the following for 30 minutes before cooking      
        1/2 cup black or green lentils
        1/4 cup brown rice
        1/4 cup black rice
    Vegetables:
        1 cup sliced mushrooms
        1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
        1 stalk celery, finely chopped
        3 cloves garlic, pressed/minced
    Spices:
        1 Tbsp italian seasoning blend (no-salt added)
        1 tsp fennel seeds
        1 tsp dried coriander
        1 bay leaf
        1/2 tsp ground black pepper
        1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
    2 cups vegetable broth

Pressure Cooker Instructions:
1.)  Combine the lentils and rice in a medium bowl and cover with water.  Allow to soak for 30 minutes before draining and rinsing thoroughly.
2.)  In the pressure cooker, saute the vegetables over high heat for 3-5 minutes, adding small amounts of water as needed to prevent burning.
3.)  To the pressure cooker, add the lentils, rice, spices, and vegetable broth.
4.)  Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure.  Cook at high pressure for 9 minutes.  Once time is up, cancel the warming feature (IP) or remove from heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally.
5.)  After the pressure has released, stir the pilaf.  If liquid remains, allow the pilaf to sit for 5 more minutes uncovered before serving to absorb more liquid.  Serve alongside fresh or steamed vegetables.

Stovetop Cooking Instructions:
1.)  Combine the lentils and rice in a medium bowl and cover with water.  Allow to soak for 30 minutes before draining and rinsing thoroughly.
2.)  In a medium/large sized saucepan, saute the vegetables over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, adding small amounts of water as needed to prevent burning.
3.)  To the saucepan, add the lentils, rice, spices, and vegetable broth.
4.)   Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Once a boil is reached, turn the head down to low to maintain a simmer for 40 minutes.  After 40 minutes, remove from heat keeping the lid on and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
5.)  After 10 minutes, stir and serve alongside fresh or steamed vegetables.

Amy's Notes:
I have made this recipe in my pressure cooker, so have not tested out the stovetop cooking instructions first hand.  You may need to monitor the stovetop version to add more water while cooking.

Fennel seeds are one of my new favorite spices, but if that doesn't float your boat, try adding 1 tsp of your favorite dried herb instead, such as rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, or oregano.  The fennel seeds are not overwhelming, but if even just a tiny bit isn't your thing, go with something else.

This recipe can be adapted to use just about any type of rice, so if you don't want to scare of some non-ETL-ers away with the dark color, try just using all brown rice.

For this recipe, I used homemade vegetable broth, but feel free to use store bought instead.  Just make sure to watch for the excess sodium in some store brands.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Quick Tomato Soup

How was everyone's Christmas?  I hope you enjoyed time with family and had save travels.  This year, Kevin and I went to his family's in Sequim, WA.  No White Christmas to be found, unfortunately, but still a lovely time.

I got quite a few kitchen goodies over Christmas from my parents, Kevin's family, and Kevin, including a large glass measuring bowl (8 cups! with a lid!), two cookbooks (Thug Kitchen and The New Fast Food), a Washington shaped cutting board, a large Kitchenaid mesh strainer, and a new pizza baking stone.  I'm so excited to try out and use all my new items....

But for now, we are spending some time relaxing and watching football.  (Have I mentioned that I'm in the Championship game for my Fantasy Football league?!)  So today, I needed a quick recipe that I could whip up in less than 15 minutes during the morning game's halftimes.  Since we have been traveling a bit, our fridge is a little bare, and no way was I going to run out to the grocery store. ;)

Quick Tomato Soup
Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
        1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1.5 cups pre-cooked)
        1 can diced tomatoes
        1.5 cups water (more to thin)
        1/4 cup raw cashews
        2 cloves garlic
        1 roasted red bell pepper
        1 tsp cumin
        1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
        black pepper to taste

Instructions:
1.)  In a high speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy, adding water 1/2 cup at a time until desired consistency.
2.)  Heat the soup using one of the following methods:
Blender heated option (Blendtek, Vitamix, etc.):  Continue to blend on high until the soup is warm and steamy.
Stovetop option:  Pour desired amount of soup into a saucepan and heat on medium heat on the stovetop.
3.)  Store leftovers in an airtight container.  When reheating leftovers, you may need to add more water to thin.

Amy's Notes:
This soup is wonderfully creamy, and surprisingly filling.  Feel free to top with fresh herbs, green onions, nutritional yeast, etc.

Note that there are two different options to heat the soup once it is blended.  Those with a crazy-powerful blender will be able to heat the soup by blending in just a few minutes.  I have a blender that is great for making things creamy, but doesn't quite have that umph, so I heated mine on the stove.

One thing I love about this soup, other than how quickly it comes together, is that it doesn't require any cutting or chopping.  Just toss the ingredients in, blend and yum!

After finishing the soup, I realized that it would also be an excellent pasta sauce if it isn't thinned by water too much.  This soup would also be very easy to freeze.

*Sorry for the untidy photo.
 I got about halfway through my bowl when
I realized that I NEEDED to share this with you guys. :)

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Mexican Polenta

Wow!  I can't believe how the weeks have gone by!  Work has been crazy busy with prepping everything for the new year since I have the weeks of Christmas and New Years off.  In the evenings after work, Kevin and I have been working to finish homemade gifts for our families and going to the gym more recently.

Since we have been so busy, I have been relying HEAVILY on my Instant Pot pressure cooker to make my meals of soups, stews, grains, and beans.  My parents came to visit us from across the state to have our Christmas together since Kevin and I are going to his parents' this year.  I had crossed my fingers to get two cookbooks I had really wanted.  One was The Thug Kitchen Cookbook (vegan, Nutritarian adaptable, and 100% hilarious), and the other was Jill Nussinow's cookbook, The New Fast Food (a nutritarian pressure cooking essential).

I have read through most of The New Fast Food, and all of the recipes sound wonderful, but I don't have some things on hand to make the ones I wanted to try (trying to limit grocery shopping since we are going out of town next week), so I adapted one of her recipes for polenta to create my own.  From her recipe I used her general measurements of corn grits to liquid, and used similar amounts of onion and fresh herbs, although drastically different kinds.  I added the spices that happen to be my favorite found in Mexican cuisine.

Mexican Polenta
Recipe adapted from The New Fast Food by Jill Nussinow, Herbed Polenta recipe
Time: 5 minutes prep, 5 minutes at high pressure, 10 minutes natural pressure release
Servings: 3 main servings, 6 appetizer servings

Ingredients:
        1 bunch sliced green onion (approx. one cup, greens and whites)
        2 tsp minced garlic
        2 cups vegetable broth
        2 cups boiling water
        1 cup corn meal/grits
        1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
        1 Tbsp chili powder
        1 tsp cumin
        1 tsp oregano
        1/2 tsp smoked paprika
        1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
     
        fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions:
1.)  In your pressure cooker, saute the green onion and minced garlic until fragrant (approximately 2-4 minutes), only adding a small amount of water as needed.
2.)  Add in the vegetable broth, boiling water, corn meal, cilantro, and spices.  Stir to mix.
3.)  Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure (manual, high pressure) for 5 minutes.
4.)  After 5 minutes is up, press cancel to stop the warming feature (or remove from heat if you are using a stovetop pressure cooker), and allow for a natural pressure release for 10 minutes.  Quick release any remaining pressure after 10 minutes.
5.)  Stir and serve as is, or place into a glass dish (or dishes) to set.

Amy's Notes:
My version of this recipe might not be the prettiest color, but my goodness, the flavors are phenomenal.  After portioning out the polenta into glass dishes, you better believe I licked that bowl clean!

What I love about this recipe is that it doesn't have salt... and you would have never known.  Not that the recipe tastes extra salty, but the green onion, garlic, cilantro, and spices give it such dimension that salt would never be needed.

When I ate more of the polenta the next day, I had it warmed up with fajita black beans, onions, and bell peppers.  Sorry, no picture, but trust me... it was WOW!

For next time, I think I will try making the same recipe, but instead of portioning it out into bowls, I will use my old cookie dough scooper and my silicon non-stick baking mat to make little polenta balls, each to top with a sprinkle of paprika and a sprig of cilantro.  How pretty would that look for an appetizer at a party!?

For tips on how to make this recipe without a pressure cooker, review how to cook stovetop polenta here (don't add the salt, butter, or cheese... obviously ;)).  You may need to add more water while cooking to adjust for evaporation that doesn't occur in pressure cooking.  Also remember that the actual cooking time will be longer than it is for the PC.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Rosemary and Olive White Bean Spread

I made this dip just before we went to Spokane for Thanksgiving.  I had had some white beans I wanted to use up before our trip across state and knew I would be able to bring along the dip to share with my family in the cooler we were packing.

This dip is great for a party, and with the particular olives I used, it gave the dip little specks of green and red.  Very Christmas-y, yes?  If you are just making the dip for your own household use, I would suggest making only a half batch.

What I love best about this recipe is that it has that zing that lemon gives traditional hummus, but without the need to get out your lemon juicer.  However, beware that, depending on the type of olive you use, most come in a pickled form that has quite a bit of salt already added in.  If you are trying to watch your salt intake, perhaps you could rinse off your olives before chopping and blending.

Rosemary and Olive White Bean Dip
Time: 10 minutes
Servings: party-size

Ingredients:
    Bean Dip:
        2-16 oz cans white beans, rinsed and drained (approximately 3 cups cooked beans)
        3/4 cup green olives
        1/2 cup raw cashews
        1/3+ cup water
        2 tsp dried rosemary
        black pepper to taste

    Dip Topping:
        1/4 cup green olives, roughly chopped
        1 tsp dried rosemary

Instructions:
1.)  In a food processor, process 1 can of beans with the cashews and water until smooth and creamy.
2.)  Add the second can of beans and continue to process until smooth and creamy.
3.)  Add the green olives, rosemary, and black pepper, and process until relatively smooth, with a few small chunks of olive.
4.)  Place into a large serving dish and sprinkle with chopped green olives and additional rosemary.  Serve with veggies and whole grain crackers to dip.

Amy's Notes:
Like I said above, be careful with how salty the olives are that you add to the recipe.  If you find that your food processor has a hard time getting cashew pieces to become really creamy, I would suggest soaking them for a few hours before processing.


Health and Happiness,

Amy

Thanksgiving Desserts

Have you finished making your Thanksgiving menu yet?  Come on buddy!  Get on it!

There is still time and more than enough ideas for you in the blogosphere!  I thought I would give you guys a  list of some of my recipes to help give you some ideas.

This is a series of posts with desserts bringing up the end.  See the appetizer, salad, side, and main dish posts here.

Ok, so you've eaten wonderful and healthful foods for appetizers, salads, sides, and the main dish.  It wouldn't be too bad to eat a SAD dessert, right?  Wrong!  Don't go there!  There are tons and tons of healthful dessert options for you!

Here are a few ideas from my recipe stash:

Banana Ice Cream

Brownie Batter Dip

Berry Coconut Chia Pudding

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies

Here are a few of my favorites from around the blogosphere:

Pumpkin Pie from Helyn's Healthy Kitchen

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie from Helyn's Healthy Kitchen

Healthy Apple Pie from Healthy Girl's Kitchen

Deep Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies from Produce on Parade


Happy Thanksgiving,

Amy

Thanksgiving Main Dishes

Have you finished making your Thanksgiving menu yet?  Come on buddy!  Get on it!

There is still time and more than enough ideas for you in the blogosphere!  I thought I would give you guys a  list of some of my recipes to help give you some ideas.

This is a series of posts, so stay tuned for the Dessert post to come!  See the appetizer, salad, and side posts here.

This is often one of the hardest transitions for those going WFPB for Thanksgiving for the first time.  However, just because a dead animal isn't in the center of your table doesn't mean you have to suffer, but it does mean no turkeys have to suffer. :)

I don't have too many main dishes to suggest from my past blog posts, but I'll give you a short list of my recipes, and a longer list of recipe ideas I would recommend giving a try.

My Recipes:

Sweet Potato Macaroni and "Cheese"

Greens and Beans with Rice

Easy Vegetable Pizza

Stuffed Artichokes

Other suggestions: Keep in mind some of these recipes might contain some ingredients that make them not quite nutritarian-perfect, but some simple adjustments, replacements, and eliminations can fix that.

Stuffed squashes like this one, this one, or this one.

Grain/legume based loaves like this one, this one, or this one.

Risotto and other decadent grain dishes like this one, this one, or this one.

Hearty casseroles like this one, this one, or this one.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Amy

Thanksgiving Sides

Have you finished making your Thanksgiving menu yet?  Come on buddy!  Get on it!

There is still time and more than enough ideas for you in the blogosphere!  I thought I would give you guys a  list of some of my recipes to help give you some ideas.

This is a series of posts, so stay tuned for the main dish and dessert posts to come!  See the appetizer and salad posts here.

Now on to my favorite part of Thanksgiving!  The sides!  My favorite sides are usually potatoes.  In recent years my favorite side has been baked sweet potatoes.  They are easy, simple, sweet, and delicious!  To roast sweet potatoes preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Wash the sweet potatoes and poke several times with a fork.  Place the sweet potatoes on a pan lined with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning halfway though, until tender.

For some other side ideas try one of these recipes:

Nutty Green Bean Casserole

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Walnuts

Creamed Kale and Onions

Colcannon with Kale

Along with these sides, a soup is another side that is warming, delicious, and easy to make on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or in a pressure cooker.

Pumpkin Basil Soup

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Katie's Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Amy's Favorite Lentil Soup

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Happy Thanksgiving,

Amy