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Loaded Vegetarian Taco Dip

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This is probably Taylor’s boyfriend’s favorite snack. Super Bowl anyone? I use the word “dip” reluctantly because it is fully loaded and requires more of a “shovel” than a “dip” of the chip. Buy strong chips to serve with. Don’t be put off by the, seemingly, long list of ingredients or instructions. This recipe comes together easily and is worth the effort.

May take 45 min-1 hour. Gluten Free and Vegetarian (substitutions can be made to make vegan). You will need a serving dish with sides a few inches deep. 

Perfect Super Bowl snack. I bet Taylor Swift would LOVE.
  • 1 package of tempeh
  • 1 T coconut aminos
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 3 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning
  • 1/2 c chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 c tomatillo salsa
  • 2 T canned, chopped green chilies (optional)
  • 2/3 cup grated, sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 roma tomato diced
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 avacado
  • 2 T light sour cream
  • salt and pepper
  • Tortilla chips

Start by boiling the tempeh to temper it’s bitter flavor. In a small sauce pan combine 2 1/2 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp brown sugar, 1 T coconut aminos, stir and put over med high heat. While you wait for water to boil, open tempeh package, and slice tempeh into 4 pieces. When water boils, add tempeh to the pan and cover loosely, reducing heat to a simmer. Allow tempeh to simmer for 7 min, then drain and set aside to continue draining and cooling. While tempeh boils and cools, prep the ingredients that will be used as toppers (cilantro, cabbage, tomato). In a small bowl, mash flesh of the avacado, then stir in the 2 T sour cream. Season with a little salt, stir and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 T oil and add the onion and garlic. Warm until fragrant but don’t burn. Crumble the tempeh into the skillet, add taco seasoning and another 1 T oil. Stir to combine, then add 1/2 of the drained beans. Stir with a large spoon mashing most of the beans with the back of the spoons. Add the rest of the beans, chilies, and the salsa, stir to combine. With the heat on low, cover, and let the mixture heat through for a few minutes. Taste mixture adding salt and pepper to taste. Add hot sauce if you’d like, as well.

Transfer bean mixture to your serving dish and top with shredded cheese. Cover the dish, allowing cheese to melt. When cheese has melted, lightly spread avacado and sour cream mixture over cheese. Next, sprinkle with red cabbage, tomato and cilantro. Serve with at room temperature with chips. Touchdown.

 

Kale and Farro Salad with Golden Beets

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Perfect salad for fall and winter. Great for a Thanksgiving or Holiday side dish.

Vegetarian. Cheese could be omitted for a vegan dish. Special equipment: Spiralizer. Takes 45 minutes.

Feeds 6-8 as side dish

  • 1 1/2 cups dried farro
  • 4-5 cups shredded kale
  • 1# parsnips
  • 1 small red onion (1 T sugar, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup white wine vinegar)
  • 1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1 medium golden beet
  • 1/2 cup chopped brazil nuts
  • 1/4-1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 tsp agave syrup
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • leaves of 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • fresh black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash the parsnips well. There is no need to peel them. Discarding each end, cut the parsnips into 1/2″ chunks and place in a medium bowl. Toss with a dash of olive oil and salt, and spread onto a foil lined baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 25 min. While parsnips roast, cook farro according to package directions. Drain, and set aside. To make the dressing; combine vinegar through pepper and whisk or blend. To make a quick pickled red onion, slice red onion thinly and place in a bowl with sugar, salt, and vinegar. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad. Place chopped brazil nuts in a dry pan and toast just until fragrant. Wash beets well, and remove stem and root end. Using a peeler, peel off outer layer. Using a sprializer with the thin ribbon blade, make 2″-3″ spirals out of the beet, placing in a bowl.

You should now have all of the salad components ready: Cooked farro, roasted parsnips, shredded kale, chopped parsley, pickled red onion (drained), toasted brazil nuts, crumbled cheese, and dressing. In a large bowls, toss farro, kale. and parsnips with dressing. Top with nuts, goat cheese crumbles, and pickled onions. Arrange beet spirals on top. You could also just toss it all together in a bowl.

Kale and farro salad with golden beets. A great holiday side dish.

Pumpkin Bread

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I made a few notes about what I want in a pumpkin bread before I started this recipe; not too sweet, moist, not super dense, tastes like pumpkin. I love the idea of a quick bread’s flavor, squishiness, and sweet notes, but I don’t like when it feels more like I ate a piece of cake rather than bread. I want all the pumpkin all of fall but I don’t want to feel like I blew a bunch of calories on a overly sugary bomb to my stomach. This recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour, which keeps it light. It contains a whole can of pumpkin which gives it moisture and flavor without much added fat. I kept the sugar low so it’s sweet but not sugary. It’s so fall.

Moist pumpkin bread. Lower in sugar and fat than the standard recipe.
All the flavors of Fall, guilt free

Healthier Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Heat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a 9×5 loaf pan.

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour + a little more for dusting the pan
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 eggs and 1 egg white
  • 1 Tablespoon grated, fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup + 2 T granulated cane sugar
  • 1 15 oz can organic canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the baking pan by using cooking spray or oil and flouring the pan. Set the prepared pan aside and begin the bread. Measure flour into a medium bowl. Add baking soda-salt and whisk to combine. Into a large mixing bowl, crack eggs and using an electric mixer or whisk, whip eggs until yolks are broken and bubbles start to appear. Add grated ginger and oil. Mix again until combined. Next add both sugars and pumpkin, and mix again. Scrap down sides, and give it another whip. Add dry ingredients to the egg and pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Place in the middled of the preheated oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes. After 50 minutes insert a tooth pick into middle, when the tooth pick comes out clean, remove from the over. Place loaf on a wire rack to cool. After, roughly, 30 minutes tap the sides of the pan to loosen and gently remove bread from the pan. Leave loaf on the rack to cool, before slicing. If you can’t resist and go in for the kill, it might crumble some but whatever.

Sushi Bar Ginger Dressing

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Ginger has so many great attributes and this dressing is a great way to get a big hit of fresh ginger. Ginger is naturally warming, stimulates digestion, and reduces “dampness” in the body. Ginger’s concentrated anti inflammatory properties can help reduce pains related to cramping and arthritus, and may relieve bloating.

Classic sushi bar salad at home

Vegan, nut free, gluten free. You’ll need a Ninja Blender or VitaMix. Takes about 15 minutes

Recipe

  • 3 medium carrots, peeled, ends cut off, and cut into 1” pieces.
  • 1 cup loosely filled with fresh ginger pieces that have been peeled
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 5 T rice vinegar
  • 3 T sesame oil
  • 2 T neutral oil
  • 1/4 c agave
  • 1/2 c ish water (use as needed)
  • 1 tsp miso paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt or more to your taste

Combine all ingredients and blend until pulverized. It won’t get entirely smooth but neither was my favorite restaurant dressing.

Use on any salad or just the classic-Iceberg lettuce with any combination of cucumber, radish, carrot, or tomatoes

Crab Frittata

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A light main course for breakfast or lunch. High in protein, low fat, low carbrohydrate, and gluten-free. Pair with a green salad, fruit, or roasted potatoes.

Slice of crab fritatta on a pretty plate

Feeds 6. Takes 20 minutes to make. Bakes for 45 minutes. You will need a 9” round cake pan or oven proof skillet.

Recipe

  • 8 eggs
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1/3 cup crème fraiche
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2tsp minced jalapeño
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions. Whites and some green.
  • 1 cup freshly grated Swiss cheese
  • 1 cup crab meat. Shredded or chopped and all shell removed
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Cooking spray for pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start by prepping green onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Set aside in a small bowl. Grate Swiss cheese, and set aside. Crack eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk well, without over mixing. Mix in crème fraiche, salt and pepper. Next, fold in remaining ingredients.

Spray a deep, 9” round cake pan with cooking spray and pour mixture into pan. Place pan in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Frittata should begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, and the center should be set, when it is ready to be taken out of the oven. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

Fritatta in the pan

Turkey Meatloaf

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Leftovers are best served in foil, and thrown into your work bag or purse.

Gluten free

  • 1 1/2 c finely grated carrot
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 3/4 c chopped parsley
  • 1/4 c chopped chives
  • 1 T olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 lbs ground Turkey
  • 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, beaten
  • 1/2 c panko flakes or gf bread crumbs
  • 2 T ketchup
  • 2 tsp coconut aminos or Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 c ketchup
  • 1 T balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper or cooking spray.

Sauté carrot through chives in 1 T olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Combine turkey through freshly ground black pepper and gently mix. Add in sautéed carrot mixture mix with hands, just until incorporated. Don’t over mix. Place mixture on prepared baking sheet and form into a loaf. Set aside and wash hands. Combine balsamic and ketchup in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spread ketchup mixture on top of meatloaf. Place in oven and bake about 1 hr or until it reaches 160 degrees inside the meatloaf. A meat thermometer is a must have. Inexpensive and tackles all the speculation stress. Let the meatloaf rest 5-10 min before slicing.

Coconut Banana Bread

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This recipe uses coconut oil instead of butter or vegetable oil. More popular in the last decade, coconut oil is easy to find amongst other oils in grocery stores. Because it is a saturated fat, it will usually be found in it’s solid form when stored in cool temperatures, but easily melts. Concerned about saturated fats? Give this article a quick read. Why this recipe benefits from using coconut oil; it adds to the flavor and aroma, by using coconut oil you can use a little less and still get a moist bread, it is minimally processed and plant based.

Gluten-free and easy to make. Takes only about 20 min to make and 1 hour to bake.

Recipe

  • 4 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup cane sugar (Florida Crystals)
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 4 small, ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 3/4 cup Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking and Pancake Mix
  • 1 cup + 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease or spray an 8×4 loaf pan

Combine first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until combined. Add the baking mix and 1 cup of shredded coconut, mix just until combined. Place batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake for 45 minutes. Top bread with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, a sprinkle of salt, and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If coconut starts to brown too much before bread is done, lightly cover with foil. Cool on a wire rack, remove from pan.

Chipotle Pasta Salad

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This recipe was insprired by a dear friend that loves pasta and mexican food, but his diet lacks nutrition. This is picky eater recipe. It’s easy, flavorful, high fiber, and provides some pops of fresh herbs and vegetables-providing some vitamins and minerals.

Southwest pasta salad. Great for picky eaters

Makes about 6 side dish servings. Takes about 30 minutes to make.

Recipe

  • 8 oz dried pasta
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 can of corn
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 big chipotle pepper + some liquid from a can of chipotles in adobo
  • 5.3 oz Chobani Plain Non-fat yogurt
  • 2 T mayonnaise product (you could also omit this and use more yogurt)
  • Salt

Make it your own. Reduce amount of pasta and amp up amount of veg for more of a salad with pasta. Or mix and match with additional optional mix-ins: olives, shredded cheese, avacado, sun dried tomatoes. Get crazy.

Start by boiling salted water for the pasta. When water comes to a boil, cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done reserve some pasta water. While pasta cooks, open and drain corn and beans. Dice red pepper and chop cilantro. To make the chipotle dressing, I combine the chipotle plus some adobo sauce, yogurt, mayo, and salt to taste, in the mixing cup that came with my emersion blender. You could also use a small Ninja or even a blender for this. Some how, mix together the chipotle – salt. Put the pasta and a splash of the reserved cooking liquid in a large bowl, stir. Add remaining ingredients and chipotle dressing to the pasta, and toss until combined. Taste and add salt if necessary. If you’ve added too much salt, add a little lime or lemon juice to counteract.

Close up of pasta salad brimming with beans and vegetablees.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Espresso Brownies

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An indulgent combination of brownie and cheesecake, meets the fall flavors of a pumpkin spice latte. The upside of baking at home is the ability to control what you are eating, even if it’s something indulgent. Store bought baked goods tend to be loaded with extra sugar, fillers, and preservatives. Take the lead, carve out a little time, and really enjoy your indulgence and the experience.

1 hour making, 1 hour baking. Oven 350 degrees. 9 x 12 baking dish

Recipe

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 12 oz dark chocolate pieces or chips
  • 1/2 cup espresso powder
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups natural cane sugar
  • 1 T vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup + 1 T natural cane sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 1 T corn starch

Preheat oven to 350.

Start with the last 10 ingredients to make the pumpkin cheesecake top layer. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin puree and cream cheese until smoothish and well combined. Add egg through cloves and beat well. Gently mix in corn starch. Set mixture aside. Place butter and 12 oz of chocolate in the bowl of a double boiler (a heat proof bowl that will rest securely on top of a sauce pan filled with simmering water. Goal: gently melt chocolate.) or melt in microwave. Stir in espresso powder. Set aside. Measure out dry ingredients, flour-cinnamon, and set aside. Combine eggs through pumpkin puree in a large mixing bowl and mix well, until light and creamy. Scrape sides and bottom, mix to combine completely. Add a small amount of the melted chocolate to the eggs and sugar mixture. Mix. Continue to add melted chocolate and mix, until all of the chocolate and butter is mixed in. Next, fold in the flour mixture. Lightly mix with a rubber spatula until combined. Spray or butter your 9 x 13 baking dish, and dust with flour. Pour brownie batter, evenly, into pan. Top with cheesecake mixture that you made first. Drag the tip of a knife through the cheesecake mixture to smooth and slightly mix into brownie layer. Place in the middle of the preheated oven. Bake for 55-60 min., depending on your oven. Cheesecake layer should be set. Allow to cool before cutting