Sweet Potato & Blueberry Forest Bowl

I can hear my father-in-law laughing right now. Fanciful titles aren't his thing. Dishes should have one word really (spaghetti), two if need be (jelly sandwiches), and only in extreme cases do they ever need three (chicken noodle soup). But definitely not five.

However, I like descriptive recipe titles. 

Whimsical descriptives inject wonder into dishes. I could have titled this dish, Sweet Potato, Blueberry & Kale Bowl...erm...not as fun (and still long). There's greens, nuts, seeds, berries...sounds like a forest forage to me! And so it is. The playful titles stay.

“A man’s mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimensions.”

— Oliver Wendell Holmes

This is such a refreshing and wholesome meal. I had whipped up a blueberry vinaigrette in a frenzy several days ago for a surprise dinner and I knew I needed to make something to use it up. Our fridge is practically empty, no greens to speak of except for a few stalks of kale so a green salad was out to the question. That's when my idea for this forest bowl popped into my mind! Perfect!

print recipe

Sweet Potato & Blueberry Forest Bowl

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-29-2014

An easy and incredibly healthy dinner. Nuts, seeds, and dried berries adorn sweet potato, quinoa, and kale that's drizzled with a homemade blueberry vinaigrette. NOTES: Feel free to use your favorite greens, nuts, and berries for this. If you don't feel like making the dressing, any fruity vinaigrette will do.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, dry
• 2 cups water
• 2 large sweet potatoes, diced
• 4 large kale leaves, de-stemmed and torn
• ¼ cup dried blueberries
• 2 Tbsp. hazelnuts, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
• drizzle of homemade (recipe below) or store-bought blueberry vinaigrette
• dash of kosher salt
• dash of ground black pepper

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes. Drain any excess water with the lid and continue to heat over low until all the water has been absorbed. Meanwhile, steam the diced sweet potatoes for about 15 minutes, until fork tender.In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the torn kale for about 1-3 minutes. It should be wilted, but develop a bright green color and still have a bit of chew to it. To serve, divide the warm ingredients evenly into four bowls. Start with a serving of quinoa into a shallow bowl and add a side of a sweet potatoes and kale. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. dried blueberries, and 1/2 Tbsp. hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 4

print recipe

Wild Blueberry Vinaigrette

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-29-2014

A sweet and tart wild blueberry vinaigrette, the perfect compliment to a big green salad.

Ingredients

• ½ cup fresh or frozen wild blueberries
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or maple syrup
• pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Combine everything in a blender and blend on high for several minutes. Serve over green salad and store in fridge

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: Total time: 5 mins Yield: about 3/4 cup

German Word of The Day

Forest --> Wald (vald)

Good Deed of The Day

Read this article from The Huffington Post, Grilling For Labor Day? Don't Burn The Planet.

Vegan Breakfast Burritos

Todd and I have made this recipe so many times. It's been perfected. Like it's my life's work, you guys. Each time we make it I ask, "Should we take the time to document it for the blog?" and every single time...."Nah, next round we will."

I'm so sorry about that. Sometimes a dish is so good, ain't nobody got time to be messing about with photography and the like. It's all you can do to wait until it's time to dig in! My bad. 

This insanely tasty burrito all started about a year ago when Todd decided he wanted breakfast burritos. My little brother used to make them all the time, even though I myself had never made them, I knew he used primarily potatoes, breakfast sausage, and scrambled eggs. Erm, not the taddest vegan but a super easy fix with plant-based breakfast patties and a fluffy tofu scramble.

A few tips here. Use the patties as opposed to the ground breakfast sausage, if you're able. The patties have a bolder "breakfast sausage" taste in comparison. I've used both and heavily favor the patties. The tofu scramble is extraordinarily fluffy and soft when the tofu that's packed in water in it's little bin is used, as opposed to the tofu that's vacuum sealed (which I normally favor). 

I'm terribly excited to finally share one of our very favorite dishes. Todd actually requested these for his birthday, but we've been so busy we only just got around to making them...two weeks later. Whoopsie.

This is a brilliant recipe for someone who's thinking about going vegan or just trying to adapt a more healthy, cruelty-free diet. Breakfast burritos don't really spring to mind as an inherently animal-free dish, but with my version you can have your vegan burrito and eat it too. You've really got to try them. There's no reason to have our furry friends (and chicken ovulation eggs...let's be honest) in a breakfast burrito! No reason I tell you!!

print recipe

Vegan Breakfast Burritos

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-27-2014

An insanely delicious and easy vegan breakfast burrito loaded with roasted potatoes, seasoned tofu scramble, browned breakfast patties, and cheddar cheese. Tofu scramble recipe adapted from Isa Chandra.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. mixed baby potatoes, cubed
• drizzle of olive oil
• sprinkling of seasoning salt
• dash of ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. water
• heaping ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 6 frozen vegan breakfast burrito patties, thawed
• 6 burrito sized flour tortillas
• dollop of vegan mayonnaise
• 8 oz. package of vegan shredded cheese
• dollop of salsa
• sprinkling of cilantro, chopped

Instructions

First, remove the breakfast patties so they can thaw out. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Wash, dry, and cube the potatoes. Spread them evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and coat with a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with a seasoning salt and a dash of ground black pepper. Stir well to coat evenly and bake at 400 F for about 40 minutes, until fork tender.In a large rimmed frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-low. Add the minced garlic and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant. Next, coat the pan with a nonstick cooking spray and crumble in the tofu with your hands. Sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the cumin through and including the water in a small bowl. Add to the tofu and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, scraping up bits that stick to the pan with a metal spatula. Then, stir in the nutritional yeast.Once the tofu is done, transfer to a serving bowl. Add the breakfast patties to the frying pan and break apart into small pieces with a metal spatula. Cook over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, until browned. Add the tofu back to the pan to warm and combine if you like. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds. To assemble, place a dollop of mayo in the middle of the tortilla, followed by a pile of potatoes, then some breakfast patty and tofu scramble, a bit of cheese, followed by salsa and cilantro. Fold in the left and right sides first, and then roll away from you to form a burrito!Serve warm with additional salsa if you like.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 50 mins Yield: 6

German Word of The Day

Breakfast for dinner --> Frühstück zum Abendessen

Good Deed of The Day

How awesome is this? Vegan nutritionist, Micah Risk, is on the the cover of the October 2014 Runner's World, sporting VEGAN socks! Pick it up at your local magazine stand today to read up! 

How awesome is this? Vegan nutritionist, Micah Risk, is on the the cover of the October 2014 Runner's World, sporting VEGAN socks! Pick it up at your local magazine stand today to read up!

Cauliflower Mac & Cheeze

I received the most beautiful, purple-hued cauliflower from my stepmother the other day. It was gifted from a friend's garden and somehow, lucky for me, found it's way into my little hands. I plucked off a few florets for a soup (the thing was giant!) but kept the remainder safe in the fridge. Pondering what to do with such a special brassica, I knew it had to be the star of a unique dish.

“We need to find a way to solve our problems and our differences with other people without hurting our killing them. This should extend to all living creatures as well...there is also a way to find a cure without hurting animals in the process and that is the track that we need to get on.”

— Paul Graham of The Las Vegas Informer

Instead, a wicked mac & cheese craving hit and it ended up in a cheesy cauliflower sauce for shell noodles. So, it might not have been the most proper dish to showcase a purple cauliflower...but it was so tasty and satisfying. I guess I'll just have to wait for my next fun-colored veggie to come along!

This dish is slightly adapted from my recipe for mac and cheese made with sweet potato. The cauliflower version is slightly less sweet tasting than the potato one, but still just as creamy and delectable. 

If you follow the recipe as is, there's a lot of sauce. I prefer my mac and cheeze exceptionally saucy so I add it all, but if you prefer, only add half and save the rest for later or just cut the sauce ingredients in half. 

Isn't she a beaut? 

I know you're going to love this non-dairy, 100% vegan mac & cheeze. It's a tricksy way to sneak some healthy vegetables into a child's/husband's diet and also on the lighter side of the calorie scale too!

Cauliflower Mac & Cheeze

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This lightened vegan mac and cheeze made with cauliflower is creamy and rich, and as always the nutritional yeast lends that proper "cheesy" flavor. Notes: For a very saucy dish, add the entire cheeze sauce or save half for later if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dry pasta
• 1 small head of cauliflower (8-12 oz), florets only
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 cup unsweetened, plain coconut or soymilk
• heaping ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ Tbsp. liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• ¼ tsp. mustard (optional)
• pinch of ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add and cook according to package, then drain.
2. Break apart the cauliflower florets and steam for no more than 10 minutes, until just tender, in an electric or stovetop steamer. Transfer the florets to a blender.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender as well and blend on high for several minutes, until smooth and creamy.
4. Add half or the entire amount of the sauce to the pasta and stir well to combine. Serve hot.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 00:10
Total time: 00:20
Yield: 6

Save Money!

I buy my nutritional yeast here. It’s only $9.55 per lb versus $13.99 per lb in the bulk bin (!) at our local grocery store, Fred Meyer!

More Mac and Cheese Recipes and Cauliflower Recipes

Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese

Creamy Fettuccine Miso Alfredo

Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

Creamy Spiced Cauliflower Soup

German Word of The Day

Cauliflower --> Blumenkohl (bloomen-coal) - Blumen means flowers and Kohl means cabbage!

Good Deed of The Day

No doubt you've seen the ALS challenges your friends and family have posted online. Have you thought about what it would mean with regards to animal rights? If not, read this article It's very thought-provoking and it's information we all need to know.