What To Do With Your Herbs Part 3-Mint Mojitos!

What To Do With Your Herbs Part 3

Mint Mojitos!

 

Here is another “What To Do With Your Herbs” Part 3.  This time we are talking mint and making them into mojitos!! What I love about using mint for summer drinks is that it gives the drink such a refreshing taste, even if you add it to water.

Needless to say, my mint was over grown and it needed help! The great thing about this recipe is that you can interchange it with any seasonal fruit or flavored rum you would like.  The possibilities are endless!

What You Need:

Mint Leaves (about four or five large ones per drink)

1/2 oz Simple Syrup (1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar, dissolved over heat)

1/2 Lime (juice)

2 oz Rum

Club Soda or Sparkling Water (I used Bubly)

Fresh Blackberries

 

What To Do:

1. Muddle the mint leaves in a glass.  If you do not have a muddler, you can rip the leaves up and take a sturdy large spoon and jam it into the mint and try to break it up.  I mean this is real classy and how I do it haha

1. Add in 4 four berries and mash with the mint leaves.
2. Pour in the lime juice and the rum.
3. Add a few ice cubes and top off your drink with sparkling water.
4. ENJOY!

What To Do With Your Lettuce- Part 2

As we continue on with this series, part one was about freezing your herbs with oil (Read the last post if you missed). This time, we are going to talk about all that lettuce I planted.

I am not going to lie, I have never grown lettuce before and had no idea what I was really doing.  I read online how to cut the lettuce so it would continue to grow. How you can achieve this is by cutting the outer leaves and leaving about an inch of the crown.  This will allow your lettuce to keep growing.

But, what if I don’t feel like eating my lettuce right away. What can I do with it so it won’t spoil?

What You Need:

Lettuce

Bowl

Veggie Cleaner

Paper Towels

Water

 

 

What To Do:

1. Rinse your lettuce according to your veggie cleaner or if you don’t have one, just rinse your lettuce to get rid of excess dirt.
2. In the bowl, put a folded piece of paper towel covered in water (the paper towel, not the bowl) on the bottom.
3. Add the lettuce in the bowl, pile them so they have some room to breathe.
4. Put a damp piece of paper towel to cover the lettuce.  Make sure you rewet this paper towel once it gets dry.
5. When you’re ready to eat it, it will be waiting! Just don’t go too many days otherwise your lettuce will not be that great.  I did this overnight and only had to rewet my paper towel once.  The lettuce was still crunchy and fresh tasting.

It was so nice to have lettuce that I grew.  I know where my food is coming from (my mini garden haha) and I control what I feed my plants.  #nogmo #nopesticide  Bam! I feel like a real adult!

 

Vegan, Gluten Free Banana Bread

I am loving being able to eat bananas again! And I have been wanting to make banana bread for weeks now. I still haven’t been able to successfully reintroduce eggs back into my diet but using a vinegar/”milk” base in baking has helped.

What You Need: 

1/4 Cup Soy Milk (or any “milk” preference)

1/2 Teapsoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 Cup Vegan Butter, softened

1 Cup Brown Sugar

3 Large Extra Ripe Bananas

1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

2 Cups Gluten Free Flour

1 Teapsoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teapsoon Salt

1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon (I know this is a lot, you can definitely half it but I love cinnamon)

Coconut Oil Spray

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan generously with coconut spray.

In a small bowl, mix the soy milk and vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes. It will start to curdle a bit and thicken up. That’s what you want it to do!

In another small bowl, mix together your dry ingredients and set it to the side.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the bananas and blend really well, until there are only small chunks of banana left. Add in vanilla and the milk mixture.

Slowly add in the dry mixture, about a 1/2 cup at a time. Mix until all the ingredients are blended together.

Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. You want to make sure the center is cooked! I’m still getting used to my new oven so it took a bit longer.

Enjoy xoxo

Creamy Vegan Avocado Basil Gluten Free Pasta

What a mouthful haha but this creamy vegan pasta is amazing! You have just the right amount of healthy fats without all the bad junk. With a hint of lemon and a kick of crushed red pepper, you can’t go wrong.

What You Need: 

2 Ripe Avocados

1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves

2 Whole Garlic Cloves, peeled

1/2 lemon, squeezed

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1/3-1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Broccoli, florets (2 small heads)

10 Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half

Gluten Free Pasta

What To Do:

In a pasta pot, boil water and cook gluten free pasta.

In a skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil with the broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Cook until it is soft but still a little crunchy.

In a food processor (or blender), add the avocados, basil, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, coconut milk, and spices. Blend until all the ingredients are smooth and silky.

In the skillet pan, add the broccoli, pasta, and sauce. Heat until all the ingredients are warm and incorporated together. Top with the sliced cherry tomatoes.

Enjoy xoxo

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! I hope we are all enjoying the day and spreading love throughout. I made a healthier version of a chocolate mousse that feels decadent but is made from healthy fats.

 

What You Need:

1 Ripe Avocado

1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup Melted, Dark Chocolate Chips

1 Tablespoon Honey

1/4 cup Coconut Milk

Pinch of Salt

Raspberries or Strawberries

Whipped Cream

What To Do:

In a food processor, pulse all the ingredients until you get a creamy consistency. Put into prepared mini cups and put in the refrigerator until cold. I left mine in the refrigerator over night. When chilled, top with whipped cream and your favorite berry. You won’t believe how decadent and rich this tastes!

Enjoy xoxo

Vegan Heart Pancakes

Everywhere you go, all you see is a massive amounts of hearts and roses, etc. The cool thing would be if we celebrate love all the time and not on one designated day. Either way, I love anything love related and played around with my pancake recipe to try and make them fluffier and vegan.

It sounds a little crazy to add vinegar to pancakes. I was a little nervous at first. I didn’t want the flavor to affect the pancakes. I used apple cider vinegar because it is a sweeter vinegar and really good for you. A little chemistry lesson here (sorry it’s the teacher in me). When you mix an acid (vinegar) and a base (baking powder), a chemical reaction occurs. You have heard of the volcano experiment where you mix together baking soda and vinegar, the chemical reaction happens right away and forms carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide produces lots of bubbles and boom, volcano. Well, baking powder has baking soda in it but needs to be heated to form that chemical reaction with the bubbles. When you mix in the vinegar, you will see some bubbles (that’s the baking soda) but what you won’t see is the pancake mix getting air bubbles incorporated into it. When heated, it will produce fluffier pancakes. Okay lesson complete… back to baking.

What You Need:

1 cup Gluten Free Baking Flour

1 tablespoon Organic Cane Sugar

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/8 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Coconut Oil

1 cup Soy Milk

1/2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Organic Red Food Dye (4 drops)

Coconut Spray

What To Do:

In a mixing bowl, combine all your dry ingredients. Mix to incorporate the ingredients. Then add all your wet ingredients and mix. You will notice when you add the vinegar, it will bubble a bit. Don’t worry! We have had our chemistry lesson 🙂

In a skillet under medium heat, spray with coconut oil. I made my pancakes into hearts but you can make any shape you want. I didn’t have any heart cookie cutters so I free-handed it. The first  ones were lopsided but I eventually got the hang of it.

I topped mine with vegan butter and real maple syrup, not the processed kind that is just chemicals.

Enjoy xoxo

Tofu Stir Fry

Today’s recipe is all about the wonderful health benefits of Tofu! Tofu is such a versatile ingredient because it takes on the flavors of what it is seasoned with. In the past, I have shared how to make Tofu Croutons (go under Meatless Monday or Vegetables).

 

I love tofu! It is a great source of protein and it contains all eight amino acids. Amino acids are important because 20 percent of our bodies are made of protein. Amino acids carry out important functions in your body. They play a huge part in carrying the transport and storing of nutrients, help repair tissues and muscles, and helps remove excess waste from our metabolism.

 

What You Need:

Brown Rice (I used Rice in a Bag that I cooked)

Firm Tofu (1/2 package)

Mushrooms (chopped)

Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables (1/2 bag)

1/3 Cup Liquid Aminos

1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar

1/4 Cup + some for cooking Sesame Seed Oil

1 Teaspoon Chopped Dry Garlic

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Dry Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (less if you would like)

Salt and Pepper

Tofu Spice Rub:

1/8 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder, Dry Ginger, Crushed Red Pepper, Salt, and Pepper

What To Do:

After chopping the mushrooms, add them to a sauté pan with a drizzle of sesame seed oil. Add some salt and pepper.

While the mushrooms are cooking, drain the tofu and wrap in a bunch of paper towels. You want to try to get out as much moisture as possible. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.

Unwrap the tofu and carefully slice in chucks. Rub the Tofu with the Spice Rub and let it sit until it is time to add it to the stir-fry.

When the mushrooms are done cooking, put them in a bowl, and cook the stir-fry vegetables (since they are frozen, you won’t need to add any oil). When they are cooked, transfer them to the plate with the mushrooms.

Let your sauté pan heat up and add your cooked rice. IT WILL STEAM! Don’t worry. You want the rice to “fry”. Add some salt and pepper to the rice. In the middle of your pan, push the rice to the sides, and add the tofu. Let the tofu start to brown and mix with the rice.

Add the rest of your vegetables and mix. In a bowl, stir all the liquids and spices together and add to the stir-fry. Let the flavors cook together for a few minutes. Taste the stir-fry and add spices/liquids accordingly to your taste.

Enjoy xoxo

Crispy Oven Baked French Fries

As much as possible, I like to make sure I am eating whole foods and not processed or frozen items. When in a pinch, you can find some healthier options, but with a quick and easy recipe to make crispy French Fries, you won’t need to reach for the freezer or the drive thru.

People often think that potatoes aren’t healthy. They can be if you eat them fried or drenched in unhealthy condiments. Potatoes are full of fiber, potassium, and vitamins B and C. They also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant properties. Phytonutrients help prevent diseases and help maintain our body’s natural defenses.

 

What You Need:

Potatoes (you can use any type)

Olive Oil

Salt

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees while prepping your potatoes. Slice your potatoes into rectangles with how thick you would like them. The thicker the slices, the longer they will need to cook and the softer they will be in the inside.

Dry them with a paper towel. On a baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil, and place the potato slices on. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on and mix the flavors together.

Put them into the oven for 20 minutes, flip and cook another 10. Remember the thicker the potato, the more they will need to cook. You want the outside to be nice and crispy!

Meatless Monday Pasta

Happy Meatless Monday!

Why should you decrease your meat consumption one day a week? It helps reduce our carbon footprint and saves resources like fossil fuels and fresh water. Meat production manufactures more greenhouse gases than growing vegetables do. Also livestock uses way more water than vegetables. Studies show that we use 1,850 gallons of water to make one pound of beef while only using 39 gallons of water to produce one pound of vegetables. Going meatless one day a week also has health benefits. It can reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes, help you live longer, and improve your overall health. Consuming vegetables that are protein rich help get the essential nutrients and vitamins such as iron, fiber, magnesium, and zinc which decrease your intake of saturated fats.

This recipe is simple to make and you can substitute or add in extra veggies. I usually look in my fridge and add in what I can find.

What You Need:

Cherry Tomatoes-One container

Garlic (2-3 cloves chopped)

1/2 Stick of Vegan Butter (Regular Butter if you prefer)

1/2 Cup of White Wine

Tofu-Diced and Seasoned with Salt and Pepper

Spinach-1 bag

Feta Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Italian Herb Grinder

Gluten Free Spaghetti

What To Do:

In a saucepan, add the vegan butter, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and the Italian Herb Spices. Let it cook until the tomatoes start to blister a bit and get soft.

Add in garlic and cook until the garlic is toasted. When the tomatoes are soft, take a fork and press into them. Be careful because it will splatter everywhere. I recommend wearing an apron!

Add the spinach in the pan until it has cooked down and wilted. Pour in the wine and carefully place in the diced tofu. Cook until the sauce is simmering and the tofu is warm. Serve with spaghetti or pasta and top with feta cheese!

Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Veggies

As the weather begins to cool down, my favorite way to make seasonal vegetables is to roast them. There is something that is so comforting about eating a bowl of warm, roasted veggies. I am constantly changing up the different veggies in this dish so feel free to experiment!

 

What You Need:

Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed

Zucchini, sliced

Carrots (I used baby carrots but you could use either type)

Sweet Potato, cubed

Two small Red Potatoes, cubed

Herbed Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

 

What To Do:

Line a baking pan with foil and sprinkle on herbed olive oil. This amount of veggies took up two baking pans. Toss the veggies in the oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Toss them again a couple of times until they are evenly coated.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, take out the pans, and flip the veggies. Bake for another 20 minutes until the vegetables are golden brown.

I like to pair my roasted vegetables with my homemade honey mustard dressing. See the recipe under dressings or clink the link above! Enjoy!