Butternut Squash Ramen Bowl with Rice Noodles, Tofu & Fresh Pea Shoots

As you can see I kept it pretty simple. So simple in fact, that by using pre-made broth & soup, this meal will take you literally less than 10 minutes from start to the finished product. Of course, if you’ve got the time, the patience, and the produce, I’d suggest starting from scratch with this simple-as-can-be-squash soup and this homemade broth.

Either way, I hope you enjoy this as much as I have been. In just as much time as it takes to boil that water for the instant stuff, you can have a fully nutritious meal that’ll hit the spot and keep you healthy, without sending your food budget sky-high either. No noodling around: this bowl is the real deal.

Butternut Squash Ramen Bowl with Rice Noodles, Tofu & Fresh Pea Shoots Recipe
This recipe makes one delicious, super hearty serving for one, and of course is easily multiplied with the right math skills and an extra bowl or two!



Ingredients : 

• (1) cup veggie stock (pre-made or store-bought is fine)
• (1.5) cups butternut squash soup, without a nut or dairy base (I used Pacific Brand)
• (1/4) tsp salt
• (1/4) tsp soy sauce
• (1) strand of thick rice noodles (about the size of the circle between your index finger & thumb)
• (1/4) cup medium soft tofu, rinsed and cubed
• (1) scallion, sliced diagonally, greens only
• (1/4) tsp Sambal Oelek
• (1/2) tsp toasted sesame oil
• (1) handful fresh pea shoots (or sliced fresh spinach in a pinch)
• Black sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions : 

1. Start by combining the soup and the broth in a medium pot, and stir to mix well. Add the salt & soy sauce and heat gently until bubbling and hot (basically to a light boil), about 3-4 minutes.
2. While the broth is heating up, cube the fresh tofu into one-inch pieces or a little smaller, as per your preference. Slice the green onion, and wash and trim the pea shoots, removing the tough stems as they can be tough to digest and chew. Take the strand of dry rice noodles (about a finger round or golf ball diameter), and with your hands, snap them in half to shorten to noodle strands, and place them in a generously sized serving bowl of your choice.
3. When the broth has reached a bubbling boil, remove it from the heat and pour all of it over the rice noodles directly into the serving bowl. Using a fork and a quick, firm hand, push any errant noodle strands under the broth to submerge any loose pieces. Cover the bowl immediately with a small plate, and set your timer for 6 minutes.
4. When the 6 minutes is up, remove the plate from the bowl and stir the noodles to break them up a little. To serve, push the noodles over to the side a little, making room for the tofu, scallions & pea shoots which can be arranged directly into the broth as you like. Place a little Sambal Oelek in the centre of the bowl, and finish by pouring the toasted sesame oil into the bowl along with the black sesame seeds to garnish.
5. Serve right away  (though the best part may be waiting for the bowl to cool a little before eating) with chopsticks or a fork, if you are a little spastic with chopsticks like I am. I always try earnestly with the sticks for a few rounds before hitting the ease and comfort of a spoon and a fork. Whatever works, so long as you never need to reach for those cheap yellow packages again ;). Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted : Butternut Squash Ramen Bowl with Rice Noodles, Tofu & Fresh Pea Shoots @ inpursuitofmore

VEGAN LENTIL LOAF RECIPE

This is the best vegetarian and vegan meatloaf! This easy lentil loaf is stuffed with veggies and lentils, and is even better than the classic!

This veggie lentil loaf is hearty and has those cozy are so amazing . If you’re ready to move away from light summery salads, this is a great place to start.

If you cook your lentils from dry, you will need about one cup, as they double when cooking. Be sure to use green or brown lentils, as the red ones are much softer.

Important tip alert!
1. Be sure your lentils aren’t still wet from cooking or your loaf could end up soggy.
2. Don’t over blend. You want some chunks of lentils and veggies for texture.

I love the extra texture and sweetness the peppers add underneath the vegan “meatloaf” and they are just plan cute, aren’t they? You could also bake this in a muffin tin for mini lentil loaves.

VEGAN LENTIL LOAF RECIPE

This easy veggie filled lentil loaf is even better than the classic meatloaf! Be sure to use green or brown lentils, not red.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups cooked French lentils (I used vacuum packed steamed lentils from the produce section. Be sure your lentils aren’t too wet from cooking.)
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 ¼ cup diced crimini mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon bbq sauce
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup quick oats
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 3 bell peppers, halved and seeded (optional)
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• pinch brown or coconut sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion, carrots, celery, pepper, and mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper until softened. Add the garlic and saute another minute longer.
2. In a food processor, pulse together the lentils, cooked vegetables, tomato paste, bbq sauce, flax meal, parsley, salt, pepper, oats, and breadcrumbs. You may have to work in batches if your food processor is small. Do not puree, but blend into a chunky dough. You want some bits of veggies for texture.
3. Form the dough into a ball and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Form into a “loaf” shape as shown in the pictures. Alternatively, fill bell pepper halves with the lentil mixture and place in a baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the ketchup on top. Sprinkle with sugar to help caramelize the topping. Bake for another 10 minutes. Let the lentil loaf cool at least 10 minutes as it firms up during this time.

BBQ CAULIFLOWER & CHICKPEA VEGGIE BURGERS

Tons of delicious BBQ flavor packed into these easy veggie burgers!  Everyone will enjoy them!

The weather has been perfect here lately and we’ve been really enjoying sitting out on the porch in the evenings so I felt like veggie burgers were the perfect porch sitting meal!  And, they were delicious!  I highly recommend topping them off with the creamy lime slaw that I top the tacos off with and eating them with a side of these oven baked french fries.

BBQ CAULIFLOWER & CHICKPEA VEGGIE BURGERS RECIPE



INGREDIENTS

• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, gluten free or regular
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut sugar, or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika – optional
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Optional toppings: Creamy Lime Slaw (recipe linked above)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together all of the spices. Place the cauliflower florets on a large baking sheet and evenly coat with 4 teaspoons of the BBQ rub and toss with 3 teaspoons olive oil. Bake cauliflower until fork tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Add the roasted cauliflower, quinoa and chickpeas to a food processor and blend for about 1 minute, until everything is broken down. Place veggie burger mixture into a large bowl and add the bread crumbs, ketchup and remaining BBQ rub. Mix until everything is evenly combined.
3. Form the mixture into patties, you can make them as big or as small as you like. You should get about 6. You can either refrigerate the patties for up to 4 days for a firmer veggie burger or cook immediately.
4. To cook, heat a large pan over medium heat and coat with olive oil. Cook veggie burgers for about 5 minutes on each side.

Recipe Adapted : BBQ CAULIFLOWER & CHICKPEA VEGGIE BURGERS @ cookhope

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is a wonderful vegan, ketogenic, low-carb, and Paleo cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe.  They are super creamy, loaded with garlic flavor, and are sure to be a hit at your dinner table.

For some reason, much of our culture tends to associate comfort food with unhealthy food… but it doesn’t have to be that way!

This roasted garlic mashed cauliflower is the perfect example of how eating healthy can also make you feel all warm and cozy inside.

For those of you with super acute taste buds, you may be able to tell the difference between regular mashed potatoes and this roasted garlic mashed cauliflower.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is a wonderful Paleo, vegan, ketogenic, low-carb, and healthier alternative to mashed potatoes.  They are super creamy, loaded with garlic flavor, and are sure to be a hit at your dinner table.  Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is a healthy Thanksgiving side dish to add to your menu this Fall.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower Recipe
Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is a wonderful Paleo, vegan, ketogenic, low-carb, and healthier alternative to mashed potatoes.  They are super creamy, loaded with garlic flavor, and are sure to be a hit at your dinner table.

Ingredients
Roasted Garlic:

• 1 head garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of salt

Mashed Cauliflower:

• 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
• ¼ c. almond milk
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp rosemary fresh
• 1 ½ tsp thyme fresh
• 3-4 roasted garlic cloves
• ¾-1 tsp salt to taste
• 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut off end of garlic head. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
3. Wrap garlic head tightly in aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until cloves become soft.
4. Remove 3-4 garlic cloves by scooping them out with a spoon.
5. For the Mashed Cauliflower:
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cauliflower for 10-12 minutes.
7. Drain water and place cauliflower on a towel and let cool for 10 minutes before handling. Dry cauliflower completely before proceeding.
8. In the bowl of a food processor combine cauliflower, almond milk, 3 tablespoons olive oil, rosemary, thyme, 3-4 roasted garlic cloves, ¾ - 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper.
9. Puree for 2-3 minutes or until mashed cauliflower is completely smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl every 30-45 seconds to ensure even pureeing.
10. Serve mashed cauliflower with a drizzle of olive oil and a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme and enjoy.

Recipe Adapted : ROASTED GARLIC MASHED CAULIFLOWER | VEGAN, KETO, PALEO @ evolvingtable