Dairy Free Reuben Pizza with Vegan Corn'd Beef and Saurkraut

Okay, people. I've finally done it! I have been thinking about making this pizza from the very first day that I tried the plant based Corn'd Beef from the Unreal Deli and maybe everyday since! This, my friends, is my Reuben Pizza and yes, it's as remarkable as it sounds!

Bonus: Scroll down for my Vegan Thousand Island Dressing Recipe!

I started with a sauce that was a homemade, vegan, "Thousand Island" kind of dressing, next was the corn'd beef, topped with sauerkraut from my friends at Cleveland Kitchen, and a sprinkle of vegan cheese.

Dairy Free Reuben Pizza with Vegan Corn'd Beef and Saurkraut

Author: Sarah | June 16 , 2022
Servings: 2

• prep time: 10 minutes + 1 hour (for dough)

• cook time: 10 minutes at 500°

• total time: 20 minutes + 1 hour (for dough)

Ingredients: What You need to buy!

Pizza Crust or Dough. I bought fresh dough from the local grocery store but feel free to make your own or use a pre-made crust.

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Plant Based Corn'd Beef slices from the Unreal Deli

1/2 cup Sauerkraut, drained very well

1/4 cup Baby Spinach and Baby Arugula, or your favorite greens.

1/4 cup Dairy Free Cheese Shreds

2-4 tbsp of Thousand Island Dressing (see below)

Ingredients: To make the dressing/sauce

1/2 c vegan mayo

1/2 c vegan sour cream

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp diced pickles, or relish

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp paprika

Pinch of salt

Instructions: What You need to do!

1. If you are using fresh dough like I did you are going to need to remove the dough from the fridge and let it rise for 60 minutes. For the recipe, I only used 1/2 of the dough to make a "medium" pizza. (about 12"-14" in diameter)

2. Drizzle the dough with olive oil and let sit, covered with a kitchen towel until risen.

3. Preheat your oven to 500° or higher, if you can! The trick to really great pizza crust at home is a ripping hot oven.

4. Stretch your dough to desired size/thickness

5. Top with the Thousand Island Dressing as a replacement for traditional pizza sauce! (Note: I know that most reubens use Russian dressing and not Thousand Island but I love the pickles in Thousand Island...use whatever you love!)

6. Add your pieces of Corn'd Beef. I like to shred it a bit and kind of mound it up so the tops get nice and crispy in the oven.

7. Add your sauerkraut. It's really important that your sauerkraut will well drained so that you don't end up with a soggy pizza.

8. Sprinkle with vegan cheese

9. Bake at 500° for 10 minutes, turning the baking sheet 180° halfway through baking.

10. Remove from oven and check crust. If your pizza crust need a bit more time, gently lay a piece on tin foil over the top of the pizza so the topping do not burn and continue to bake, checking every minute, until done.

11. Remove from oven and add greens. Let sit on hot sheet for 2-3 minutes before slicing. (Note: I choose to add the greens after the pie comes out of the oven so they don't burn up! The heat from the pizza will wilt the greens slightly as it sets)

12. Slice into 6 pieces and serve!

If you like Reuben Sandwiches, trust me...you're going to love this pizza! The best part? This entire pizza clocks in at just over 800 calories...depending on your ingredients! It’s also a great recipe to serve a crowd! Simply double the recipe for a “large” pizza! The packages of Corn’d Beef from the Unreal Deli actually contain enough servings to make 3 medium pizzas when you shred the meat up before topping!

I’d love to know if you give this recipe a try! Remember to tag me in your fabulous food posts online so I can see! - @plantbasedgingr

…and, as always, Love, Light, and Lentils, my friends!
Sarah

Healthy Chocolate Oatmilk Ice Cream - Only 5 Ingredients!

It's National Oat Milk Week and I'm celebrating with my friends over at Rise Brewing Co. using their Organic Chocolate Oatmilk to make this 5 ingredient dairy free ice cream!

Not only is this the one of the simplest summer recipes to make it also sneaks in an extra serving of veggies into your favorite summer snack by using avocados to make it extra creamy and dreamy!

Easily double or triple the recipe to serve a crowd. It's perfect for the kiddos because when it warms up it gets soft but never really "melts" making it much less of a mess for little mouths! Will definitely be serving this next weekend for Memorial Day!

Healthy Chocolate Oatmilk Ice Cream

Author: Sarah | April 19, 2021
Servings: 2-4

• prep time: 15 minutes

• freeze time: 3 hours - Overnight

• total time: 8 hours

Ingredients: What You need to buy!

1 ripe avocado

1/4 c. Chocolate Oatmilk from Rise Brewing Co.

1/4 c. Cocoa Powder

3 tablespoons of Maple Syrup

Mini Chocolate Chips

Instructions: What You need to do!

1. Blend avocado, oatmilk, cocoa powder, and maple syrup until smooth.

2. Add a handful of chocolate chips and stir to combine

3. Freeze for 3 hours or up to overnight in a coverd bowl.

4. Serve with your favorite dairy free topping!

And…that’s it! See, I told you it was easy! Another of my favorite ways to enjoy this nice-cream is to make coffee floats! Simply use your favorite cold brew coffee, like the Nitro Original Black from the Rise Brewing Co. in place of root beer and top with a scoop of ice cream!

This recipe also happens to be the fastest and yummiest way to make dairy-free chocolate pudding! Simply skip the freezing step and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving! I really hope that you’ll try this Healthy Chocolate Oatmilk Ice Cream with Only 5 Ingredients this summer…and make sure to tag me when you do! @plantbasedgingr

Love, Light, and Lentils, my friends!
Sarah

Turnip Green and Broccolini Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

It’s Mother’s Day this weekend and this Spring Turnip Green and Broccolini Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is perfect for all your spring and early summer get-togethers!

This new spin on one of my Mom’s favorites, incorporates both turnip greens and broccolini, and is a great way to "sneak in" some extra greens for all the picky eaters out there! Paired with a sweet and tangy Poppy Seed Dressing and loaded with fresh blueberries and pumpkin (or sunflower seeds) it's sure to be the new hit your table!

The turnip greens from Palmetto Gardens are perfect for spring and summer pre-dressed salads like this one, delivering a refreshing crunch with ingredients that won't wilt or lose their texture!

Turnip Green and Broccolini Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Author: Sarah | May 4, 2022
Servings: 6 to 8 side-portion servings

• prep time: 15 minutes

• assembly time: 5 minutes

• total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients: What You need to buy!

Ingredients: To make the Salad

1.5 cups of finely diced Palmetto Gardens Turnip Greens

1.5 cups of broccolini florets, chopped into small, bite-sized pieces

1 medium red onion, diced small

1 cup of fresh blueberries

1/3 cup of pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds)

3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I used a dairy-free version)

Ingredients: To make the Dressing

1/4 cup of Maple Syrup

3 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tablespoon Minced Garlic

1/4 cup of Olive Oil

2 tablespoons of sour cream (I used a dairy-free version)

2 tablespoons of Poppy Seeds

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions: What You need to do!

1. To begin, remove the broccolini from the stems so that you get small, bite-sized, pieces...about the size of a nickel.

2. Finely chop your Palmetto Gardens Turnip Greens so they easily incorporate into the broccolini.

3. Dice your red onion.

4. Into a large bowl combine the broccolini, chopped turnip greens, onion, blueberries, cheese, and pumpkin (or sunflower) seeds

5. Gently toss to incorporate.

6. To make the dressing, whisk the sour cream and maple syrup until well combined. Do this step first to avoid lumps.

7. Continue whisking and add in the apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Whisk until smooth.

8. Stir in the minced garlic and the poppy seeds, along with the salt and pepper.

9. Taste for seasoning. For a more tangy dressing add another splash of apple cider vinegar...or if you prefer a sweeter dressing, add a bit more maple syrup.

10. Gently pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine well. Keep cold before serving.

If you’re like me, you might not eat a lot of turnip greens as a part of your regular diet, at least not raw. Most of the greens that I had growing up were always stewed or creamed…neither of which are my favorite! The addition of the diced turnip greens to this Spring Salad doesn’t change the flavor of this traditional Broccolini Salad but it DOES give you an extra boost of healthy greens, plus…it’s a super thrifty way to help stretch your produce and reduce kitchen waste! I do hope you’ll try it this delicious spring salad recipe! Make sure to tag me when you do so I can see all of your yummy creations! Until next time…

Love, Light, and Lentils, my friends!
Sarah

RubyFrost, White, and Blue Summer Apple Salad w/ Poppyseed Dressing

Summer is right around the corner and that means Summer Salads! Whether you’re looking for your next recipe for the family cookout or just an easy recipe that doesn’t require turning on the stove this RubyFrost, White, and Blue Summer Apple Salad w/ Poppyseed Dressing will easily become your new favorite!

Featuring delicious, RubyFrost Apples, the base of this salad swaps out boring, old, lettuce for shredded Brussel Sprouts, (Shhh, don’t tell them, they’ll never know!) and is packed full of pretty delicious flavor! Bonus, the amazing colors in this salad make it the perfect way to kick off your Memorial Day Festivities next month!

Grown by 152 family farmers across New York State, RubyFrost Apples are the perfect balance of sweet and tart - deep and rich color with a great, crisp texture!

Because of their high levels of vitamin C they are slow to brown, making them the perfect apple for a summer salad like this one!

RubyFrost, White, and Blue Summer Apple Salad w/ Poppy Seed Dressing

Author: Sarah | April 28, 2022
Servings: 6-8 (side portions)

• prep time: 10 minutes

• assembly time: 10 minutes

• total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients: What You need to buy!

2 RubyFrost Apples, cut into 1/2" pieces (Reverve 1/4 of one apple to slice for garnish, if desired)

16oz Brussle Sprouts, shredded

6oz fresh blueberries

1/2 - 3/4 cup of Walnuts

Crumbled, Dairy Free Feta

Ingredients: To make the Poppyseed Dressing

1/4 cup Maple Syrup

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of Salt

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1 tablespoon poppyseeds

Instructions: What You need to do!

1. To begin, cut your brussle sprouts, from top to bottom, into very thin slices and they will automatically "shread" into a cole-slaw consistency!

2. Cut your RubyFrost Apples into 1/2" pieces. (Reverve 1/4 of one apple to slice for garnish, if desired)

3. In a large bowl, toss your shreaded brussle sprouts with your cubed RubyFrost apples, walnuts, blueberries and crumbled feta.

4. To make the dressing, mix the maple syrup, vinegar, oil, and salt. I like to use a frother to quickly emulsify the dressing. Once well mixed, add poppyseeds.

5. Dress the salad just before serving.

If you know me well, you likely know that I lived within walking distance of an apple orchard for over a decade…needless to say, I’m pretty picky about apples but these RubyFrost Apples are, truthfully, pretty delicious!

I picked up my RubyFrost Apples at my local Fresh Market but you can follow @RubyFrostApples on Instagram to see if this pretty delicious apple is in a store near you.

I hope you all will give this RubyFrost, White, and Blue Summer Apple Salad w/ Poppy Seed Dressing a try…and I’d love to hear how you love these RubyFrost Apples!

Love, Light, and Lentils, my friends!
Sarah

Vegan Spinach Lasagna with Homemade Dairy Free Ricotta

This cold weather is seriously making me crave comfort food. Anyone else? Made with my homemade ricotta, plus some delicious pasta sauce from my new friends over at Otamot, this delicious Vegan Spinach Lasagna totally hit the spot!! Read below for my easy, dairy free, and cashew free ricotta recipe!

My homemade vegan ricotta is so simple and because its made with silken tofu...it's safe for all my friends with nut allergies!

This recipe is for a 9x9 pan of lasagna…but is easily doubled if you want to make a large pan.

What you are going to need to buy:

To make the dairy free ricotta:
16 oz Silken Tofu, drained
3/4 c of Nutritional Yeast
2-3 tablespoons of Minced Garlic
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Salt

To make the Spinach Lasagna:
Vegan Ricotta
Tomato Sauce
1.5 cups spinach, Chopped
1/2 cup Dairy Free Mozzarella
Lasagna Noodles
Dairy Free Parmesan

What you are going to need to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

To make the dairy free ricotta:
Slowly pulse ingredients in a blender until the mixture comes together. Do not over-blend or it will get too runny! You can always finish mixing by hand.

To the ricotta mixture add your spinach and dairy free mozzarella.

To assemble the lasagna:

Cook your noodles based on the packaged instructions.
Add 3 tablespoons of pasta sauce to a 9 x 9 baking dish.
Layer your noodles, ricotta and cheese mixture, and pasta sauce and continue to build the lasagna until 3 layers have been achieved.

Top the final layer with noodles, cover with remaining sauce, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes until bubbling!
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving and enjoy!

Love, Light, and Lentils, my friends!

Vegan Hamburger Helper with Homemade Cashew Free Cheese

If you’re an 80’s kid, like me, and you grew up in the States, you most definitely experienced Hamburger Helper as a part of your childhood. My mother went back to nursing school the same year that I went to kindergarten and when my brother was just out of diapers so needless to say, she was juggling a lot. I guess it goes without saying that we had a lot of “boxed” meals growing up. This recipe is all the nostalgia of those family dinners without any of the meat or dairy!

If I’m honest, I was a little hesitant to post this as a recipe because it wasn’t one that I carefully sat down and planned out. Truth is, I was under the weather last week and wanted comfort food. This was thrown together with a lot of odds and ends but when I posted it on IG last week everyone went a little crazy, so here we are! Hope that you all enjoy.

What you are going to need to buy:

Pasta, I used orecchiette because I had it on hand but an small noodle will work. I do like this shape because they are like little noodle bowls for the sauce!

Your favorite plant-based ground meat - (I used the ground from Impossible Foods)

Small Sweet Onion, diced

Minced Garlic - (like this jarred options from Spice World!)

1/2 cup Vegetable Stock - Or half a cup of water and a veggie cube

Butter - (We love THIS ONE from Earth Balance)

Salt & Pepper

Liquid Smoke

Homemade Vegan Cheese Sauce! (Find that recipe HERE!)

What you are going to need to do:

To start, let’s make the sauce!

I make this cheese sauce every month or so and have it in the fridge to throw into all kinds of things, which is just exactly what happened with this recipe! Hope on over and make it! Will you have some left over? Yep. Is that a bad thing? Nope!

GO TO THE CHEESE SAUCE RECIPE HERE

Welcome back!

The rest is pretty easy.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, begin to cook down your plant-based meat, along with the diced onion. Once you put them in the pan try not to stir or move them around too much because you want to get some good color/char on the meat.

After about 1-2 minutes stir the mixture and add a tablespoon of dairy free butter, a tablespoon (or more if that’s your thing…) of minced garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, 8-10 dashes of liquid smoke and continue to cook until the meat is done and the onions are nice and soft.

While the meat and onions cook, bring a pot of salted water to boil on the stove and when it’s ready, drop 4 servings of your pasta (follow the box directions for portions and cook time.)

Next, add your veggie stock to the meat and onions and using a wooden spoon, scrape up any of the little bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan! This is where all the flavor is hiding!

Add in 1 cup of your cheese sauce and stir to combine.

A note about the cheese sauce: If you make the cheese sauce ahead of time, and I hope that you do because it stays good in the fridge for weeks…it will solidify a bit. It’s much easier to “melt” it back into your Hamburger helper if it’s runny so you can just scoop out what you need and toss it into the microwave for 10-20 seconds, stir, and that should do the trick!

Drain pasta, but save 1 cup of pasta water.

Add the pasta to the cheesy/meat mixture and stir to combine. If the dish is too dry and not all that “creamy” slowly add the pasta water to thin the mixture and help the sauce emulsify. You may not use all the water and that’s okay because if you get it too runny then you’ll need to cook it longer and let some of that liquid evaporate.

Taste for seasoning. Add salt, pepper, if necessary.

I like to top mine with fresh herbs to serve. Either thyme or rosemary work really well!

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Shells Stuffed with Sage Sausage, Spinach, and Ricotta

Looking for a fall twist on an old comfort classic? While we’ve still got a couple more weeks until Autumn officially arrives…over here I was craving some fall flavors...and these Butternut Squash Shells stuffed with Sage Sausage, Spinach and Ricotta totally hit the spot!

The best part of this recipe is that, while the flavor profile is different, the assembly is basically the same, so if you’ve ever successfully made stuffed shells in the past, these will be a snap. The entire dish does take a bit of time to make because you’ve got to roast the butternut squash and make the sauce so I would recommend that you plan to make a couple of recipes with squash so you can do some prep for several meals at once! Once the sauce is made, (which can be done ahead of time) the rest of the dish comes together in less than an hour!

What you are going to need to buy:

Medium Butternut Squash

Jumbo Shells

Medium Sweet Onion, diced

Minced Garlic - (like this jarred options from Spice World!)

1 cup Plant-Based Milk

1.5 cups Vegetable Stock

Dairy-Free Ricotta

Dairy-Free Mozerella

1/2 lb Plant-Based Sausage

Fresh Spinach

Just Egg, egg alternative

Olive Oil

Butter - (We love THIS ONE from Earth Balance)

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Sage

Warming Spices (Allspice, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger)

What you are going to need to do:

To start, let’s make the sauce!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Chop your squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Liberally salt and pepper the cut side. Roast on a baking sheet for one hour, flipping halfway through, until the squash is fork-tender.

In a high-walled saucepan or medium pot, saute in butter, the diced onion and a tablespoon of garlic until soft and translucent. Reduce heat and set aside.

Scoop out the roasted squash from the skin and into the saucepan with the onion and garlic. Add the plant-milk and the vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer and add a teaspoon of each of the warming spices.

At this point, if you have a stick blender, it’s helpful to blend the mixture for a smoother texture but it’s not 100% necessary.

Let the sauce reduce until it’s the consistency of pasta sauce. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Now, onto the filling!

In a small saucepan, gently wilt one bag of spinach over medium heat.

In a large mixing bowl combine the following:

sausage (does not need to be cooked)

the wilted spinach

the equivalent of one egg

1.5 cups of ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

2-3 tablespoons of minced, fresh, sage

salt and pepper, to taste

The Shells:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Follow your package directions and cook your jumbo shells in boiling water.

After the shells are boiled and tender, remove and drain.

In a large skillet or baking dish fill the bottom of the dish with the butternut squash sauce.

Stuff each shell with the ricotta mixture and place into the baking dish.

Depending on the size of your dish you should be able to fit 15-20 shells. Do not overcrowd the dish. You want the sauce mixture to be able to rise up around the shells on either side.

Sprinkle mozzarella onto the top of the shells and cover with tin foil.

Bake for 15-20 minutes covered. Remove the tin foil and bake another 15 minutes until the sauce and cheese are hot and bubbly.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

While the shells are resting, fry up some sage leaves in Olive Oil until crispy and crumble the leaves onto the top of the shells for garnish.

Serve the extra sauce on the side.

Enjoy!

Better Than Canned, Vegan Crescent Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting!

If you grew up as an 80’s kid like I did, canned cinnamon rolls were a Saturday morning tradition. Probably the best thing you can really say about canned rolls, as an adult, is that they are quick and easy, crack open the can, plop them into a dish and bake. But would you believe that in the time it takes to preheat your oven you can up your cinnamon roll game by using another canned doughy staple from your childhood? That’s right…we’re talking crescent rolls!

Ever since I realized that canned crescent rolls are are #accidentallyvegan I have been thinking about using them to make some dairy free cinnamon rolls! And...WOW am I glad that I did because these bad boys turned out absolutely amazing. These quick and easy rolls are everything you love about cinnamon rolls and everything you love about crescent rolls all in one bite!

What you are going to need to buy:

Canned crescent rolls. (The Pillsbury brand is vegan!)

Non Stick Cooking Spray

1 cup of White Sugar

3 Tablespoons of Ground Cinnamon

Dairy Free Cream Cheese

Powdered Sugar

Vanilla or Maple Extract

What you are going to need to do:

Preheat your oven to 350.
Yes, the back of the can will tell you to bake at a higher temperature…don’t do it! We are going to bake these rolls at a lower temperature for longer than what you would bake traditional crescent rolls.

Crack open your crescent rolls and carefully unroll them onto a piece of parchment paper.
Do not break apart along the perforated edged into individual pieces. The goal is to get one rectangle of dough.

Take your fingers and gently press the perforated seams that you would normally use to separate into individual crescent rolls back together.

Spray the dough rectangle with the non-stick cooking spray. This is going to give the cinnamon sugar something to stick to.

Combine your cinnamon sugar and sprinkle a liberal amount onto the entire rectangle, leaving a one inch seam on one of the short ends. This is where you will close your rolls and you want the dough to stick to itself after rolled up!

Begin at the opposite end from where you left your sugarless seam and roll the dough onto itself until you get a log. Go slow and try to make sure that the whole log stays together. You can use the parchment to help you roll.

With a very sharp, serrated knife, cut the roll in half, then in half again and one final time so that you have 8 equal pieces.

Lightly spray the pan you are going to bake the rolls in.

Note: I like to bake mine in a round pan but if you want to use a 9 by 9 pan that is fine too but you will want to cut your rolls into 9 pieces so that they fit nicely into 3 rows of three!

Place the rolls onto the center rack of a hot oven and bake for 15 minutes with a piece of tin foil draped over the top of the baking dish. This doesn’t need to be sealed on the edges, just lay flat onto the top. The crescent dough will brown faster than it cooks so you want to guard aganist the tops of your rolls getting too brown, too quick!

After 15 minutes remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until light golden brown and fluffy!

I like to frost these rolls with cream cheese that I have added just a pinch of powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Personally, I don’t like my frosting to be too sweet because there is so much sugar in the rolls. The tang of the cream cheese is the perfect balance to all the sweetness and butter inside the rolls!

Let sit for 1-2 minutes after baking before frosting.
Enjoy!

Creamy Mocha Date Hazelnut Spread

Homemade Creamy Mocha Date Hazelnut spread for the win! Bonus...technically, it can be made Raw Vegan so, even better. Shout out to Publix for having these beautiful Raspberries but you could serve it with any fruit you like…or just eat it right out of the mason jar you store it in! No judgement here.

I hesitate to call this homemade Nutella or “Healthy Nutella” because it has a flavor all it's own and I will admit that it’s not as sweet as the original but with only 6 ingredients and zero added processed sugar...let's just say I feel a lot better about having this than the jarred stuff!

Note: You’re going to need a high powered blender for this recipe. Not a stick blender. Not a hand mixer. Not a food processor…a blender! I don’t normally dictate hardware in my recipes but you’re essentially making nut butter and neither hazelnuts nor dates are cheap! I don’t want anyone to buy these ingredients and not be able to actually make the recipe in the end…

What you are going to need to buy:

Hazelnuts (I used 2 cups)

Dates (one medium container, about 10-12 ounces)

Cocoa powder, to taste (I used about 1/3 cup)

Maple Syrup

Vanilla

Salt, to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon)

Water

What you are going to need to do:

This recipe is really more about processing and assembly than cooking but to begin you need to preheat your over to 400 degrees. If you want this recipe to be officially “Raw Vegan” you don’t have to toast your hazelnuts of your dates and can skip this step…but the flavor is much better, in my opinion, if you toast them.

Spread your hazelnuts and dates onto a baking sheet and roast on 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Be careful that they do not start to smell burned.

Allow to cool on stove-top 1-2 minutes. Pour hazelnuts into blend and pulse to chop until fine. Blend hazelnuts on medium high until they release their oil and a “butter” texture starts to form. If the mixture feels too dry to the blades get stuck add 2 tablespoon of maple syrup and 2 tablespoon of water.

Finely chop the dates into small pieces and once the hazelnuts start to become creamy, add the chopped dates, along with another 1/2 cup of water and the cocoa powder and salt.

Blend on high until well incorporated and creamy.

If you want your spread to be sweeter, add more maple syrup. Need more Mocha flavor…add a bit more cocoa and water. Continue to blend, taste, and tweak until you get the desired taste and texture that you like.

I ended up using, probably 1/4 cup of Maple Syrup and 1 cup of water, total to get both the taste and the texture I was looking for.

Store in a glass jar, and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Creamy Hummus Pasta with Roasted Red Tomatoes (Lucky Left Overs Series)

Remember when I told you a couple of days ago that I was working on another recipe to use up the rest of that homemade hummus and pesto that we made for our zucchini fries? Well, friends…here it is! This Creamy Hummus Pasta with Roasted Red Tomatoes is just about the simplest dish to whip up but I promise your taste buds will thank you!

When you live alone and cook for guests mostly on the weekends, your mid-week fridge can often end up filled with the odds and ends from dishes gone-by! This pasta dish is not only great because it uses up your leftover hummus but also because it really does take less than 15 minutes to throw together…and bonus, you can always use a tub of store-bought hummus if you have to!

What you are going to need to buy:

Hummus, about 2 cups (for 2-3 servings) - CLICK HERE for the recipe that this recipe uses!

Sundried tomatoes, 1/2 cup - (we like the California SunDry Tomatoes that come in a jar! Plus, they keep in the fridge forever!

Cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half, 7 or so, per serving

Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper

Pasta of your choice

What you are going to need to do:

Preheat over to 415 degrees.

Cut your tomatoes in half and sprinkle with salt.

Place tomatoes on a baking tray with a silicone mat or lined with baking paper and roast for 12 minutes, flipping half-way through.

Cook your pasta, per the package directions, in salted water until tender.

Drain pasta, but reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Gently stir in the hummus, the sundried tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, adding the pasta water, as necessary, until the hummus coats the pasta with an “alfredo” like consistency. Note: You may not use all the pasta water and that’s okay.

Gently scoop the roasted tomatoes from the baking tray and fold them into the pasta.

Salt and pepper, to taste.

Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of the oil that the sundried tomatoes are packed in onto the top of the pasta before serving and garnish with fresh herbs.

See, I told you it was easy! In all likelihood, it took me longer to type up this post than it will for you to make this dish!

Enjoy!

Toasted Sweet Potato Gnocchi served over Couscous with a Sweet Ginger Garlic Sauce

We’re back at it tonight with another sweet potato recipe. Yes, I know it’s smack in the middle of summer…who cares? Who says that sweet potatoes are only reserved for the fall? This Toasted Sweet Potato Gnocchi served over Couscous with a Sweet Ginger Garlic Sauce is super filling and a great way to get a “pasta fix” when you are craving carbs without all the guilt!

Admittedly, this recipe does have a few more steps than some of the dishes that I usually share on the blog because you do have to make the sweet potato gnocchi but the good news is that if you are are only cooking for on or two…or if you are super on-the-ball and are in the habit of meal prep, you have make a big batch and freeze what you don’t use tonight for another meal later! Personally, what I love about this recipe is making the gnocchi from scratch, even if it is a little more work because it means that I know exactly what is going into the food that I am eating…no excess salt or synthetic preservatives, just natural ingredients that I have prepared myself!

What you are going to need to buy:

Boxed Couscous - (we like the Near East brand and they have several to choose from!)

Veggie Stock or Bouillon – (we like the “Not Chicken Bouillon” by Edward and Sons

Olive Oil  

Red Onion, small, diced (only half)

Minced Garlic

Sweet Potato (Medium)

Brown Sugar

All Purpose Flour

Baking Powder

Salt & Pepper

Vegan Mayo (We Like JUST Mayo)

Agave Syrup

Lime Juice

Powdered Ginger

Fresh Thyme (We used Lemon Thyme)

Cashews

 

What you are going to need to do:

This recipe technically comes together in only two pots…but one of them is only used to boil water…so, does that even really count?

Making the Gnocchi:

Let’s get cooking. Preheat your over to 400.

Step one in this recipe is to roast your sweet potato(s). Yes, you need to roast them. No, please do not boil them. The key to really good gnocchi that isn’t too dense or gummy is to incorporate as little flour as possible to have the dough come together. By roasting your sweet potatoes, you are also dehydrating them just a bit, which means less flour needed later on. This, obviously, is why you don’t want to boil off your poatoes to soften them…more water = more flour. Not ideal. (If you are really in a pinch, you can use the microwave.)

Once your potatoes are roasted, soft, and cooled you need to remove the insides from the skin and mash or puree them. If you are only making a small batch (one sweet potato) you can easily do this by hand with a fork. Once the sweet potato mixture is smooth and free of most large lumps add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and one teaspoon of baking powder, per medium potato.

Next comes the flour. This is hard to measure, because of the size of the sweet potato used, and the water content left in the potato after roasting, the amount of flour for this step will vary. Slowly add in flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough comes together and is no longer sticky. Try not to overwork the dough. Gently incorporate the flour until just combined. We are looking for a texture that is slightly less dense than traditional pasta dough. You will need to be able to work/roll the dough into “snakes” on your work surface without the dough sticking to the counter, or your hands.

Once dough is rolled into 1/2” wide snakes, cut 1/2” pieces so you have little sweet potato “pillows” At this stage you can either roll into balls, roll into logs, leave in pillow shape, or use your thumb, and the back of a fork to create the traditional “gnocchi” shape. My advice? If you are making this at home…skip the fancy stuff…it all taste the same in the end, and after boiling and frying the fork/tine marks that are seen on traditional gnocchi get a little lost, anyway.

Making the Couscous:

At this point we are going to shift gears and make our couscous. The first step to this recipe, or any recipe involving couscous is to dry toast the couscous. This sounds more complicated than it actually is and in the end gives the finished dish a much more complex depth of flavor- It only takes two minutes! Do not skip this step.

In a medium saucepan, bring enough salted water, to cook the gnocchi, to a boil. We are going to boil the gnocchi like pasta, so think the amount of water you would use for medium pasta shells. The water should come up to boiling while your couscous cooks.

In a medium saucepan, on medium/low heat measure out the desired amount of couscous, according to the boxed directions, for the number of serving you need to make. Add to this the minced garlic, one sprig and onions. I almost always use the minced garlic that comes jarred in the produce section. One teaspoon for every half-cup of dry couscous you are cooking.

Let the couscous, onions, and garlic toast in the warm pan, stirring or agitating the pan often so that the contents do not burn. After about 90 seconds you should see the couscous pearls begin to turn from blond to light brown. When this happens take the saucepan off the heat. It will continue to toast, from the residual heat but you don’t want it to burn.

Bring your couscous saucepan back over to medium heat and add the veggie stock. (Follow the boxed directions of your couscous for the recommend amount of liquid) Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat and cover for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan and that the liquid is being absorbed.  If, after 10 minutes) the couscous seems too runny, take the lid off the saucepan and some of that excess water should boil/evaporate off.

Once the Couscous has absorbed all the liquid and is creamy, remove from pan and place in a bowl or on a plate, covered, to stay warm. Clean out the pot/pan the best you can because this is what we are going to toast/fry our gnocchi in, after it comes out of the water, to make them crunchy.

Cooking the Gnocchi:

At this point your “pasta water” aka gnocchi water should be at a light boil. With a slotted spoon, add gnocchi to the water, being careful not to overcrowd the pot if you making a large portion. The gnocchi will immediately sink and will float when finished cooking.

In the original couscous pot/pan add a handful of cashews, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and, if you have it on-hand, a splash of your favorite balsamic vinegar. Once the gnocchi float in the boiling water, remove them and transfer to the pot with the cashews, over medium/high heat to toast or get a little crunchy. Continually stir or shake the pot/pan so that the gnocchi do not stick or burn. This takes about 4 minutes or so.

Making the Sweet Ginger Sauce:

In a small dish combine 2 tablespoons vegan mayo with a splash of agave syrup, lime juice, minced garlic and powdered ginger. (Add ginger to taste…but, be brave, don’t skimp!) Stir until smooth and well incorporated.

Plating and Service:

Serve the crunchy sweet potato gnocchi and cashews over the warm couscous, and top with the sweet ginger and garlic dressing. Add fresh thyme, to garnish.