Creamy roasted tomato sauce over spaghetti squash, kale chips, and smashed red skin potatoes. Vegan - GF - Vegetarian

This was a dish not to be missed!

Thanks for the love on FB and Instagram. You can find how I made each part of this delectable dinner below.

I hit the grocery store today and could not wait to get all my fresh veggies in the oven! I preheated it to 350.

I baked my spaghetti squash in one dish, my kale in another, my sauce in one, and my potatoes in another.  The squash, potatoes, and sauce all cooked for an hour together (the heat gets dispersed when there are more items, so it will take longer). I put the kale in after for 10 mins while I prepared the spaghetti squash, mashed the potatoes, and completed the sauce.  While the majority of the dishes were baking I got in my yoga workout, did some dishes, and played with Emery. It was a great night!

Here are step by steps for each, incase you are not doing a full on feast. I, however, like to feast.

Spaghetti Squash*

Oven – 350

Spaghetti Squash,

Water

Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half long ways.

Scoop out the seeds/guts.

Place face down in a glass casserole dish.

Fill the dish with filtered water until there is about ½ -1 inch of water in the dish.

Bake for 40 mins. The meat of the squash will come off easy with a fork when it is done. Be careful, its hot!

Killer cream tomato sauce

Oven to 350

4 roma tomatoes

1/3 c chopped fresh onion**

6 garlic cloves, minced***

olive oil

¼ cup Tofutti (or any vegan sour cream)

prehat oven.

Cut roma tomatoes into slivers, and place in an oiled glass or pyrex dish skin sides down.

Add onions

Add Garlic

Drizzle olive oil all over.

Bake for 15-20 mins, or until the onion is browning at the edges, along with the tomatoes. Check on the dish periodically and shake to disperse the olive oil.

Once it is baked use a fork to press all of the ingredients into a chunky sauce and stir in the Tofutti. VOILA!

Kale chips (I’m addicted).

Oven at 350

½ bunch of kale

Olive oil

Drizzle some olive oil into your pan.

Wash and tear your kale off of the stem**** and toss them into the pan. Dizzle more olive oil on and toss so that all the kale is has a very light layer.

Bake for 10 mins.

Hog all the kale chips for yourself J They were AMAZING in the sauce.

Smashed red skin potatoes

Oven – 350

4 red skin potatoes, washed well and cubed (do not peel!)

Olive oil

¼ c almond milk (original)

3 tbsp Tofutti (or any vegan sour cream)

Creole seasoning*****

Toss the potatoes and a drizzle of olive oil into a pan. Shake the pan until the potatoes are coated. Bake for 15-20 mins, or until a fork goes through easily.

Lightly mash with the almond milk and Tofutti. Season to taste with the creole.

*There is some debate on what is the best way to cook spaghetti squash. I have tried many different ways and prefer this one. I also prefer the oven to the microwave as I try to limit my microwave use.

**I actually did not use fresh onion here. I had a bag a few weeks back and I was leaving for vacation. I did not want to waste (I try not to waste ANYTHING in my kitchen!) so I sautéed all of them with some olive oil, then I froze them in a muffin tin. It worked amazing! So for this recipie I added one muffin tin straight from the freezer to the pan. It melted great and the olive oil coated wonderfully. You could not taste, smell, or see the difference from fresh or frozen.

*** I did the same thing with my garlic before vacation, but froze them in an ice cube tray instead. I added one of them for the sauce and it was pro, like the onions. Don’t ever let your produce go to waste!

**** Speaking of not wasting…..I save my kale stems! They can be very bitter and take much longer than the leaves do to cook. So I put them in a big container in the freezer with all my other veggie stems/scraps, and after a week or two I cook all of them in water and a pinch of salt in my crockpot for 10 hours, and you have home made veggie broth! I then freeze the broth in ice cube trays until I need it. Just remember to label properly and throw out if anything starts to smell, or you do not use it after 2-4 weeks (just a good general rule, it may vary with each item).

***** My favorite creole seasoning is Tony Chachere! I put it on everything!

Savory herb cream biscuits - Vegan - Vegetarian

I made these beauties for Christmas Eve dinner, and they did not disappoint! I could not wait to share them with you all. Enjoy!

You will need:

2 cups all purpose flour, plus a bit to sprinkle to counters when you get your knead on.
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tea salt
12 oz tofutti vegan sour cream
Almond milk to add by tbsp
1/4 c minced fresh rosemary
1/4 c minced fresh thyme

Here is how:

Put oven to 450

Whisk dry ingredients together

mix in the tofutti and the herbs adding the almond milk as needed

turn onto a floured counter and knead until smooth

Cut with a cup or biscuit cutter and place on a baking sheet that is covered in parchment paper.

 Bake for 12 mins or until the tops are slightly golden.

I am not a big baked good fan, but these were amazing. The herbs brought in a great flavor and added a little something to your everyday biscuit.

*COOKING TIP*
I use a cookie sheet to flour instead of the counter, because it makes less of a mess when I roll out the dough.

Squash and Zucchini Spaghetti - vegan/ vegetarian/ GF/ soy free

There is just something about growing and eating your own produce. It makes me feel centered and part of something bigger than myself. And it is delicious! 

I was given a HUGE zucchini from a friend's garden (if you grow em, share em!) and I had picked some HUGE yellow straight neck squash from my own garden.

Use a spoon to de-seed the squash and zucchini. Then use the large holes on a box grater (be careful!) to make the noodles. I kept the skins on because of the nutrients, but I have known others to peel before. 

Once you have the veggie shreds, then take as much moisture out of them as you can but getting a cheese cloth or a towel (or paper towels, but they break easy), and wrap it around the shreds and gently squeeze out the water.

Then heat about 3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet. Then add the shreds. Cover and toast over the stove for about 10 mins on high heat, tossing often with tongs, and adding more oil as needed.  Once it is cooked through drain again, this time over the sink in a colander. 

For this dish I then added a can of whole kernel corn, and topped with a simple spaghetti sauce.

I cannot tell a lie - I could have eaten the whole dish myself. But I did not, I shared it with my family.

It was so good, and it was VERY health too!

Enjoy!

Love Beka!

Basil flatbread pizza - vegetarian/ vegan

I have a fun fact for you: Papa Murphy's is awesome. 

They are the take and bake pizza company that is all over the US. My family love's their pizza. 

http://www.papamurphys.com/Home

What we love even more though is their crust! I am not sure if you have ever made pizza dough at home, from scratch, but it is a chore. And good luck stretching it unless you are a professional pizza spinner. I have tried many times, and it always is a half flat bread half thick crust squareish mess. Not worth it. Then we had an epiphany from a friend.... Papa Murphy sells their crust! Already made, spun, stretched, and on a baking round! Any size for only 2$! 

We will never go back. Plus it's vegan. Winning!

So we stopped by and got two this week. We made one into a deliciously delightful pizza that was half vegan (me and my son) and half not (my husband). 

Vegan side : pizza sauce, then fresh broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives. Then we had some vegan sausage (I usually don't do vegan meat, but we were celebrating some good news) and smothered the whole thing in vegan cheese (treat).

The non vegan half had all the same except no broccoli and dairy cheese. 

It was so good. Trust. 

Then with the other pizza crust we made a vegan flatbread.

We picked about three cups of fresh basil and one cup fresh oregano from our garden. We blended that, 8 cloves of roasted garlic*, and a half cup of extra virgin olive oil in a blender to make the pesto spread.  You can add olive oil as needed.

Once the spread was evenly on the dough we sliced four roma tomatoes and put them on as well. Then we sprinkled with Italian seasoning* and popped it in the oven. 

We baked it at 425 for about 15 mins (checking and rotating at 10).

And it was DELISH! Oh my. So good. And so easy too!

Enjoy!

Love

Beka

* I toast the garlic cloves in the dry outer skins in a skillet over the stove. I toast them, shaking the skillet often, until each one has several dark dots. Then you crush them with the side of a knife, and the outer skins just come apart from the meat of the garlic. Enjoy their dance moves!

* Italian seasoning is a blend of dried oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and garlic. 

Alfredo Spaghetti - Vegan - Vegetarian

I love me some alfredo…but the tummy does not. Now that I am a vegan I have found a way to enjoy it vegan style!

Here is what you will need.

4 tbsp vegan butter (I use earth balance).

1 onion diced

6 garlic cloves minced

6 tbsp flour

2 cups almond coconut milk.

So you heat the butter in a skillet. Once it is melted throw in that onion and brown it.  Once it is to your desired consistency, throw in the garlic for about 15 seconds.

The add the flour and cook for one minute. Then pour in the almond coconut milk and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 mins, stirring often, then take off of the heat to thicken. Season with salt and pepper as you see fit.  If you desire a smooth consistency you can run it through a blender.

I put this sauce over Garden Delight Spaghetti. This pasta is my go to as of late.  It’s vegan and is made with wheat and dried tomatoes, spinach, and carrots. And it is delish.

Enjoy! Next time I think I am going to roast a tomato in with my onions and throw in some kale and spinach as well.  Let me know how you make this your own!

Chili - Vegan, vegetarian, GF, soy free

Who doesn't like chill!?! It's a comfort food, protein packed, and left overs are great! You can also freeze it and pull it out for a quick dinner whenever you want! 

Here is what you will need:

1 crock pot*

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 sweet onions - minced

1 red bell pepper - chopped

1/4 c chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

6 garlic cloves - minced

1  - 28 oz can  tomato puree

1 -  28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 - 15.5 oz can  kidney beans

1 - 15.5 oz can black beans

1-15.5 oz can navy beans

1-15.5 oz can white hominy

1-15.5 oz can corn

Turn you crock on to the 4 hour setting.

Put in oil, onions, red bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and stir all together in the crock pot. Let this all cook for an hour. 

Next put in the garlic, tomato puree, diced tomatoes, beans, hominy and corn. 

Stir it all together. 

Cook until the timer goes off on the crock, or until you really want to eat. The longer it cooks the more the flavors will combine, but there is nothing in there that could make you sick if it is not cooked properly.

So enjoy!

Love

Beka

*If you do not have a crock pot you can do this on a big pot on the stove over low heat. Just stir often so it does not burn. 

Homemade Ranch dressing - vegan, vegetarian, GF

I miss lots of food being vegan. One of the ones I REALLY miss is ranch dressing. It was my go-to for so long. I was determined to make a dairy free version of it.

AND I DID! I actually prefer it more than regular ranch because it is homemade!

Here is what you will need:

1/4 c almond milk

1/2 c veganaise *

6 tsp tofutti *

1 tbsp red onion - finely minced

1 tbsp fresh italian parsley - finely minced

1 tbsp fresh dill - finely minced

1 garlic clove - minced

1 tsp  lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

one pinch of sugar

Pour all these ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid (I prefer mason jars) 

 and shake that thang! 

This dressing can be refrigerated for about 5 days. I make a batch each week so I can have it on salads, sandwiches, and on anything that needs that comforting taste we are all so in love with. 

If you want a spicy ranch, or south west ranch, then sub cilantro for dill, puree a 1/2 c of salsa, and add to the mix.  Or I have added 2 tbsp of brown mustard to the mix for some flavor. Whatever way you make if your own, i am sure you will love it! 

Enjoy my friends!

Love

Beka

*veganaise and tofutti can be found in the refrigerated health section of your local grocery store. If not, then it will be at any whole foods for sure.