Amped Up Boxed Mac & Cheese (Recipe)

Super Easy & Gluten-Free!

• 1 box Annie's Homegrown Brown Rice Mac & Cheese
• 1 cup diced broccoli, raw
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Generous sprinkle/shake: seasoning of your choice (I used FlavorGod Garlic Lover's Seasoning)
• 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and diced (optional)

Prepare mac & cheese as directed on the box, and preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir in broccoli, jalapeño and seasoning.  Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese, stir and place in oven-safe ramekin or baking dish.  Heat for about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately top with the remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese.  

I served this with DoctorKracker Cheddar Pumpkin Seed crackers, pictured.  (Note: the crackers were not Gluten-Free)

Suggestions:  Find a block of good, aged sharp yellow cheddar and shred it yourself.  It makes a big difference - and strengthens the shoulders & biceps in the process.  

More recipes and food tips on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FitHealthyMommy

Pumpkin Pie Baked Oats

You might know by now, based on my recent posts, that I have a bit of a problem (read: addiction) to baked oats.  I have to say, though, that with all the things out there in the universe that I can be addicted to, baked oats is probably a good thing.  Benefits:  it keeps my blood sugar stable for hours, it fuels my workouts and my busy days and I feel like I'm eating a treat most days (mini non-dairy chocolate chips...a tablespoon is like heaven.)

These Pumpkin Pie Baked Oats are one of the best I've ever made.  Seriously.  And, because I didn't make pumpkin pie yesterday for Thanksgiving, these totally filled that sad, little hole in my heart.  The best part - they are super easy to make!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats, pulsed in food processor (I use Trader Joe's)
3/4 to 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3T pumpkin puree (I used organic) *not pumpkin pie filling*
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1T mini non-dairy chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pulse the oats in a food processor to grind them down a bit, but not too much.  I do larger batches of this each week and store it in an airtight container in my fridge so that I can alleviate this step each time I make oats during the week.  In a bowl mix the oats and coconut milk. Add the spices and stir.  Last, add the pumpkin puree to combine.  Transfer to an oven-safe crock or bowl and bake for 25 minutes.

This was such a nice treat and didn't feel like a breakfast at all.  Win!  Try it - it's REALLY good!

Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate Baked Oats, Oh My!

Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate Baked Oats

Here's another recipe for my Baked Oats!  I made it a little differently today so I thought I'd share what I did with the oats before I mixed & baked them.

Recipe:
~ 1/2 cup gluten free oats
~ 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
~ dash cinnamon
~ pinch Himalayan sea salt
~ 1T chia seeds
~ 3/4 small banana
~ 1.5T peanut butter
~ 1.5T mini chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients except banana & peanut butter in a bowl.  Pour into an oven safe bowl.  Slice the banana and layer the slices into the oat mixture.  Add the dollop of peanut butter right in the middle of the mixture.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.  Let cool for about ten minutes before eating.

I like my oats to be somewhat smooth, so I ground them in the food processor.  I do this in big batches (maybe 3-4 cups) and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.   Pulsing the oats in the food processor doesn't make them into a flour (although it's easy to grind them into a flour for something like a mug cake) but rather gives a finer texture in the baked oats when they're ready to eat.

My favorite brand of gluten free rolled oats

Here's what the oats look like in the bag

Here's the oats after pulsing in the food processor

Very Veggie Scramble with Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Very Veggie Scramble with Sweet Potatoes

I like making my Very Veggie Scramble because, well, I'm still not a big fan of eggs and this scramble is great for masking the eggy flavor.  Whatever works, right??

I grabbed the handful of veggies I had on hand for today's scramble.  This time of year it's easy to find prepped sweet potatoes at most grocery stores.  Sometimes I pick these up when I know I can use them quickly and easily in my recipes.  Today was a good day for it because my kids are all home from school.  I couldn't spend too much time doing prep work in the kitchen.

Very Veggie Scramble:

• 2 cage-free eggs
• 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper (I used orange - opt for Organic)
• 1/2 cup chopped white mushrooms
• 1/3 cup chopped vidalia onion
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup chopped baby spinach (opt for Organic)
• 1T coconut oil
• Spices (I used garlic salt, cumin & Mexican Fiesta seasoning)
• Optional: goat cheese, chopped avocado, chili sauce

Beat eggs in a bowl with your spices, then add all veggies.  Mix to coat veggies evenly.  In a shallow pan over medium heat, add coconut oil and let it warm.  Add your veggie & egg mixture and scramble it until your desired doneness.  I like mine to brown up, so I cook it for several minutes.  Serve hot, sprinkled with goat cheese, avocado, chili sauce or whatever floats your Very Veggie Scramble boat!  I added goat cheese to mine.

Pan Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes:

• 1 and 1/2 cups cubed sweet potato, peeled.  (I bought mine pre-prepped)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1T coconut oil
• Spices to your liking (optional - I did not use any)

Heat a shallow pan over medium heat and add coconut oil.  Once it melts, add the sweet potato and onion.  Stir to coat evenly and allow it to cook for ten minutes or so.  I covered mine during cooking so it would cook a bit faster.

All veggies - washed, cut & ready to go!

I love this Artisana coconut oil!

Opt for cage-free eggs (and local!) whenever possible

My favorite spices - I use them in everything

I have WAY more veggies than egg in this scramble.

KK approved!

She liked the goat cheese and mushrooms the most

Very Veggie Scramble with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Beef & Veggie Lasagna with Zucchini & Cashew Cheeze

Beef & Veggie Lasagna with Zucchini & Cashew Cheeze

I really love that so many recipes can be tweaked based on the ingredients, produce and spices that we have on hand at home.  Many of my original recipes are made differently each time because I may not have a particular spice or vegetable.  I encourage you to use my recipes as a base or starting point for your meals...but make any changes based on your family's needs or what you have available.  That's not to say that you can't make it exactly as posted.  Either way, I'm sure it'll be amazing!!

I knew that I was going to use zucchini for the noodles and organic ground beef for the filling.  I wasn't sure what else I was going to add, so this recipe was built as I was preparing dinner last night.

There will be picture overload following the body of this post.  I love adding step by step pictures because so many of us learn visually.  Seeing each step can help less confident cooks to really visualize what their meal will look like during each phase of the recipe.

Enough chatter from me.  Here's the recipe for Beef & Veggie Lasagna with Zucchini & Cashew Cheeze.

View of one serving, from the side

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchini

1 small yellow squash

3 cippolini onions

5 white or baby bella mushrooms

3/4 lb organic (grass-fed, no hormones added) ground beef

1 recipe Cashew Cheeze (click HERE and scroll to bottom for recipe)

1/2 bunch kale

2 avocados, sliced

chili sauce

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp taco or Mexican seasoning mix

1-2T coconut oil

First, prepare the Cashew Cheeze sauce and set aside (pic 2).  Wash and slice your zucchini lengthwise (pic 4).  I used a knife rather than a slicer or mandolin so mine were not quite the same thickness...but they still worked just fine.  Steam the zucchini slices for about 8 minutes until they begin to look translucent (pic 11).  While those are steaming, dice your squash, mushrooms & onions and saute in coconut oil in a large shallow pan until browned - add some chili sauce here if you'd like (pic 6).  Remove from pan, set aside and add chopped kale to the pan.  Cook for a few minutes until it turns bright green then remove from pan and set aside (pic 10).  Next, add the ground beef to the pan and stir until cooked through.  (I like to reuse the same pan for everything because it cuts back on cleaning dishes later!)  Add taco seasoning, to your liking to lightly season the beef (pic 7).  The rest of the spices still need to be added so don't overdo it with the just yet.

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef and sauteed veggies.  Sprinkle the cumin, sea salt & garlic powder and mix well (pic 8).  Taste it now - if you want more spice, add more.  Line a rectangular baking dish with non-stick foil or spray well.  Add one layer of steamed zucchini "noodles" to the bottom of the dish (pic 12).  Next, layer the beef/veggie mixture (pic 13).  After that, add the kale (pic 14).  Next, add the avocado slices (pic 16).  Spread some of the Cashew Cheeze over the avocado and add the final layer of zucchini "noodles" (pics 17 & 18).  I added more Cashew Cheeze sauce and a drizzle of chili sauce to the top (pic 19).  Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes.  Let cool a bit before serving.  Enjoy!!

1. The makings for Cashew Cheeze sauce (I added a little chili sauce too)

2. Cashew Cheeze sauce, after blending.  Mine was very thin - I added extra water.  It really thickens up during cooking - keep that in mind!

3. Three medium, relatively same size, zucchini

4. Zucchini - sliced and ready to steam

5. Diced squash, mushrooms & onion (I added a little extra zucchini too)

6. Sauteed veggies with chili sauce

7. Browned ground beef with taco seasoning

8. Ground beef & veggie mixture

9. Lacinato ("elephant") kale from my garden

10. Chopped kale cooking in coconut oil

11. Steamed zucchini "noodles"

12. First layer - Baking dish lined with zucchini "noodles"

13. Second layer - ground beef & sauteed veggie mixture

14. Third layer - chopped, sauteed kale

15. Slice avocados lengthwise in half and remove pit with large knife.  Slice the avocados lengthwise.  Scoop out with a large spoon and separate the slices.

16. Fourth layer - add sliced avocado

17. Fifth layer - Cashew Cheeze sauce

18. Top layer - more zucchini "noodles"

19. Top layer with added Cashew Cheeze & chili sauce

20. After baking - looks SO GOOD!

Vegan Walnut "Meat" Tacos in Lettuce Wraps with Cashew Cheese Sauce

Vegan Walnut "Meat" Tacos in Lettuce Wraps with Cashew Cheese Sauce

When my friend Heather recently posted in our Meat Free May Facebook group that she made some fantastic tacos using walnuts for the "meat", I will admit - I was a little skeptical.  I did some online searches and found that there are a ton on recipes for walnut "meat" filling, so I decided that if so many people have blogged about this, perhaps I should give it a try.  Not that I didn't believe Heather when she said these were amazing!  After all, her little boy has started stealing her green smoothies.  She must be creating some good stuff in her kitchen.  I digress...

I opted to make mine just a little differently, but they were still pretty similar.  I did not soak my walnuts and I used Bragg's Liquid Aminos.  If you don't know about this product, please go get a bottle and start using it right now!!  I use it almost daily whether in recipes or just on sautéed  kale.  It's loaded with amino acids and is free of preservatives and salt.

Taco filling:
1.5 cups raw walnuts
1 cup diced mushrooms
coconut oil
2T Trader Joe's taco seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1T Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Saute mushrooms in about a tablespoon of coconut oil until browned.  Remove from heat.  Add walnuts and seasonings to food processor and *pulse* until crumbly.  If you over-process, you'll end up with nut butter and that would be better for a sandwich.  When the walnuts are crumbly and the spices incorporated, add the mushrooms and stir until mixed.  Done - honestly, that's it.

I opted to serve mine in romaine boats with tomato, purple cabbage and "cashew cheeze" sauce which can be found at the bottom (under the pictures) of THIS blog post from last week.

Josh liked it too - and that's always a bonus!

Walnuts pulsed in food processor with spices

Close-up view of the walnuts

Cashew "Cheeze" Sauce

Sauteed mushrooms

Walnuts mixed with mushrooms

Simple - there's no need to have a dozen ingredients to make a taco!

And you can eat more with less guilt!

Black Bean & Rice Veggie Enchiladas with Collard Wraps and Cashew Cheeze

Black Bean & Brown Rice Veggie Enchiladas with Collard Wraps, Cashew Cheeze and Tomatillo Avocado salsa

Vegan, Vegetarian, Meat-free, Plant Based, Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Black Bean, Rice & Veggie Enchilada with Collard Greens, Cashew Cheeze and Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

If my recent recipes haven't sparked your interest yet, please let this one be the one you try.  Holy YUM, this recipe was amazing!!  Because I cannot have gluten, I opted to use collard greens to wrap my enchiladas.  What an awesome way to get more greens into my meal...without missing the tortillas at all.  I used up a lot of veggies that I had on hand, but you can tweak this - as with any recipe - according to your liking and what you have at home.

I made the cashew cheeze sauce based on a recipe by Melissa Costello of Karma Chow.  If you don't have her cookbook The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook, please consider purchasing it.  I absolutely LOVE her recipes!  Having done her vegan cleanse in early 2011, I learned so many nutritional tips but I also connected with some pretty amazing people.  She's definitely one of the people who inspired me to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Onto my recipe!!  Minus, the cashew cheeze, this is a Fit & Healthy Mommy original recipe so please link to my blog or Facebook page should you recreate or share my recipe.  As always, please comment here or post on my Facebook page to let me know if you make one of my recipes and what you thought about it.  Tag me on Instagram @FitHealthyMommy & #FitHealthyMommy and if you're doing my Meat Free May Challenge, tag #MeatFreeMay.  Thank you!!  

Ingredients for the enchiladas:
6-8 large collard green leaves
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 can salt free organic black beans, divided
1/2 cup diced yellow squash
1/2 cup diced zucchini
3/4 cup diced mushrooms
3-4 kale leaves, chopped small, stems removed
1 tsp Himalayan sea salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
3T chili sauce, divided
coconut oil
1 recipe cashew cheeze sauce (at the bottom of this page)

Ingredients for Tomatillo Avocado salsa:
3 tomatillos, diced
2 avocados, diced
1/3 cup red onion, diced
coconut oil
chili sauce to your liking

In deep, wide pan, boil a few cups of water.  While waiting for the water to boil, lay each collard leaf flat.  Take a sharp knife and slice the woody stem at an angle, gently, to flatten the leaf for easier rolling.  Lay the leaves flat in the pan of water for a minute to soften.  They will turn bright green.  I did 2 or 3 leaves at a time so they wouldn't stick together.  Place to the side and make the filling.  Pulse the cooked brown rice and 2/3 of the can of black beans, cumin, salt & garlic powder in food processor.  Place mixture into a large mixing bowl.  In saute pan, add coconut oil then add mushrooms, zucchini and squash.  Cook until slightly browned.  Add the veggies to the rice mixture.  Add in the kale and rest of the whole black beans that you reserved and mix until combined.

To make the salsa, simply add the diced tomatillos & red onion to a little bit of coconut oil in a small saute pan.  Cook for just a few minutes until veggies soften then add chili sauce.  I added about a tablespoon.  Place this mixture in a small bowl and add diced avocado.  Stir together.  That's it!

Prepare a 9x13 baking pan.  I use nonstick foil for easy clean up.  Lay one collard leaf on a cutting board and spoon some of the rice & bean mixture onto the leaf.  Fold up the two sides then roll the leaf.  Please rolled leaf seam-side down in the baking dish.  Complete these steps with all of the leaves.

Pour the cashew cheeze sauce over the rolled enchiladas and top with the tomatillo avocado salsa.  Bake at 425 for about 25 minutes or until it's done.  These reheat very well when using leftovers.  Don't microwave them!!  Toss them back into a 425 oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through.

I used Eden Organic salt-free beans, and pre-cooked organic brown rice

Some of my faves!  I just found this Organicville gluten free chili sauce - SO GOOD!

Kale from my garden

Tomatillos

Collard Green leaves, before adding to the boiling water

Chopped veggies & kale

Tomatillos &  red onion for the salsa

Zucchini, squash & mushrooms sauteing in coconut oil

Brown rice, beans & veggies

I HEART AVOCADOS!!!

Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

Ready to make the enchiladas!

Fold the two sides, then roll up

Seam side down in the pan

Add cashew cheese sauce over top the rolled leaves then top with the salsa

Fresh from the oven - doesn't it look amazing??

So many veggies - this is definitely a clean, healthy meat-free meal!

YUM!!!

Cashew Cheeze Sauce (based on Karma Chow's recipe)
approx 2 cups raw, unsalted cashews
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili sauce or powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt

Soak cashews in water for 4+ hours.  I soaked mine for about 6 hours.  Drain and add to food processor with rest of the ingredients.  Add enough water to just cover the cashews.  Cover and pulse or run processor until smooth & creamy.  I used my Vitamix and it turned out AMAZING!  Watch the consistency and determine if you want to add more water to this out the sauce.  Also, taste it!!  You might find that you want more nutritional yeast or more spice.  It's all to you and your taste buds!

Cashew Cheeze Sauce after mixing in my Vitamix