happychomp:

Turkey Sliders with Zucchini Buns

These are seriously the cutest little healthy sliders that I have ever eaten! They’re fast to make and low in calories. They can work as appetizers or even main entrees, depending on how many you can resist. You can also play with the seasonings for the turkey to cater towards your own taste preferences :) I’ll definitely be making these again.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground turkey, chicken or beef
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp diced onion
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• Dash of cayenne (optional)
• 1 large zucchini
• Olive oil
• Any other seasonings (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine the ground meat, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, paprika, and optional cayenne
2. Slice the zucchini into quarter inch thick circles
3. Drizzle olive oil over the zucchini and place them on a grill to get some grill marks on them. A regular frying pan can work as well
4. Form patties the same diameter as the zucchini slices
5. Turn the frying pan to medium heat and fry the patties until cooked thoroughly
6. You can add additional toppings to your sliders, including tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms, onions, mustard, etc

Inspiration: livingcrunchy

thugkitchen:

Spread some of this goodness on your next sandwich. It’s fucking delicious. And it lets you double up on your protein sources and cut down on the fat. Shit, don’t limit yourself to just sammies. This is a choice dip so grab some carrots and cucumbers. Afternoon snack: FUCKING DONE.

SUNDRIED TOMATO SPREAD

¼ cup of sundried tomatoes (don’t buy that shit that comes packed in oil. They are way more expensive. Find the kind that look like dried fruit. They will be near the olives or the canned tomatoes in the grocery store)

1 cup warm water

¼ cup chopped white or yellow onion

1 ½ cups or 1 15 ounce can of cannellini beans (any kind of white bean works, like navy or great northern beans. You just want a creamy kind of bean)

1 clove of garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon tamari or soy sauce

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

 Put the sundried tomatoes in a small bowl and cover them with the warm water for 15 minutes.

 While the tomatoes soak, cook the onions in a small pan with a little bit of olive oil until they begin to look brown and smell awesome, like 5-8 minutes. Take the tomatoes out of the water and chop them up into pieces but save the water they were soaking in; no need to waste shit. Chop up the garlic into little pieces. Put the beans, sundried tomatoes, onions, and 2 tablespoons of the water from the tomatoes in a food processor and chop that shit up real small. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend it all together until it starts to look creamy. Add more of the soaking water if it looks a little dry. It’s cool if there are still some bigger tomato bits hanging around, just call that shit “rustic”. Add more spices if you think it needs it and serve that fucker up.

This will last a week in the fridge if you are good at keeping delicious secrets from your roommates.

Homemade Fruit Rollups Tutorial (with video)

Grape & Quinoa Tabbouleh Wrap

INGREDIENTS
Whole Wheat Tortillas
1 1/2c Cooked Quinoa
1c Grapes Sliced in Half
1c Cooked Chickpeas
1/8c Chopped Mint
1/8c Chopped Fresh Oregano
1/2c Chopped Parsley
1/8c Diced Red Onion (optional)
1/4c Feta Cheese
Juice from 1 Lemon
2tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Let your chickpeas and quinoa cool to room temperature before you begin mixing the tabbouleh. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, chickpeas, grapes, onion, mint, oregano, parsley, and crumbled feta cheese. Toss the salad with the lemon juice and olive oil. Have a taste to see if you need to add salt (sometimes feta eliminates the need for it). Roll the tabbouleh in tortillas, just like you would a burrito. Place the wraps in a hot skillet and press down for a few minutes on each side to toast and seal the tortilla. Wrap in parchment and take it on a picnic. Enjoy!

 Mediterranean Lentil and Couscous Salad

INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked couscous, cooled
2 cups cooked green lentils, cooled
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3-4 roasted red peppers, chopped
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
3-4 cups spring mixed greens (or other greens like arugula, baby spinach, etc)

Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, roughly chopped (or less if using dried)
salt and pepper, to taste

optional: top with crumbled feta or goat cheese, if not vegan

In a small bowl wisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients and set aside. In a large serving bowl add all of the salad ingredients and toss gently to combine. Just before serving pour the vinaigrette over top and gently toss again to incorporate. You may not want all of the dressing on there, so don’t dump it all over at once. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

lumpycurvy:

think-fit-be-happy:

shitfree:

Carrot Ribbon Fettuccine Recipe (Photo Recipe)

this looks so nice, but I dislike cooked carrot. Maybe it would work with zucchini?

this is totally wonderful with zucchini - i do it all the time!

theblackvegan:

Spaghetti & Vegan Meatballs

stronghealthyconfidence:

Roasted Banana Chai Baked Oatmeal

Sweet Potato Chickpea Quinoa Burgers 

joyofhealth:

Makes 14. Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen.

As most of you know, I don’t eat meat. I haven’t for a little over a year now, so I’m definitely not the authority on burgers. However, I can make a mean veggie burger—even my meat loving brother approves.

My mom forwarded me a recipe recently for these quinoa burgers that she was excited to try, and we had leftover cooked quinoa and sweet potato so we decided to give it a go!

They’re extremely easy to make and come together quickly. I recommend giving them a try. The original recipe says that it makes 8 burgers, but I must’ve made mine smaller because I ended up with 14. 

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
• ~1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 small sweet potato (cooked and diced)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 C parsley
• 3 C cooked quinoa
• 1/2 C oats (roughly ground)
• 1 egg

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a nonstick pan and sauté the garlic and onion until its softened and slightly browned.
2. Place the onion mixture, chickpeas, cooked sweet potato, spices, and parsley in a food processor. Blend until it begins to clump and get smooth but still has noticeable chunks.
3. Place mixture in bowl and combine with the quinoa, oats, and egg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Divide burger mixture into patties (mine made 14) and place them on parchment paper.
5. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or freeze to save for later.

These can be cooked in a pan with some oil, which gives them more texture on the outside, or baked at 350 degrees for roughly 30-45 minutes (flipping halfway through).

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes.
2. while sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with no butter or oil. sprinkle with salt and other mexican seasoning (as much as you want). do not stir! let corn roast for several minutes before stirring. let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again. continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside. set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.
3. saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. set aside.
4. remove sweet potatoes from the oven when fork-tender. let cool for 5-10 minutes. cut the sweet potatoes in half. scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact. sometimes leaving a thin layer of potato inside of the skins helps them hold together better.
5. mix the flesh of the sweet potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and salt. you can use a mixer or just a spoon, depending on how soft the potatoes are. when well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.
6. scoop the filling into the skins and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

QUINOA BURGERS

2 rounded cups cooked quinoa
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 medium carrot, finely grated (OR 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed dry)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 green onions, including white parts
1 /2 teaspoon splenda or sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
olive oil for frying

in a large bowl combine the 2 rounded cups of cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, splenda, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder. (to help them stay in patty form and not fall apart, i cook them on med-low slowly so they have longer to set-up without burning.  makes them easier to flip, too.)  heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat.  mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.  fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.   makes approx. 10 burgers.

per burger:  calories 132; protein 8g; fat 5g; carbs 12g; fiber 2g; sugar 0g; sodium 200mg

vegan strawberry shortcake smoothie
serves two

Strawberry-Banana Bites

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas
2 cup gluten-free oats
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla 
A generous pinch of nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup slivered almonds
6 fresh strawberries

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork.  Add oats, applesauce, vanilla, spices, and almonds. Stir thoroughly.
2. Cut the tops off strawberries and chop fruit into tiny pieces.  Add to batter. Mix until well blended.
3.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto a lined baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy with a cup of coffee.