vegetarian

Easy Salsa Salad

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment
I throw this salad together with whatever I have at hand. It’s simple, and makes a delicious lunch. :)

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3/4 cup canned sweetcorn, drained (about half a 15 oz. can)
  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/2 cup salsa (I used Newman’s Own pineapple salsa)
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1 tsp cajun seasoning
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Additional Toppings:

  • fresh parsley or cilantro
  • tortilla chips

Directions:

Stir together all the ingredients. Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.

Honey-Baked Carrots

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment
Simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs. whole organic carrots
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • salt and pepper to taste (I do 1 tsp each)

Directions:

Cut off both ends of the washed carrots. Cut into carrot sticks (or desired size). Place in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Glaze the carrots with the olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper; mix with your hands until evenly coated. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes until tender (or 30 minutes in a convention oven). Serve.

Vegetarian Chickpea Sandwiches

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment
Here is a quick, healthy, delicious, and easily adaptable vegetarian lunch!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 Tbsp each of mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, and mustard (or some combination to make a 1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 tsp each of cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder (or whatever spices you’d like!)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber
  • 1/4 cup diced tomato
  • 2 Tbs finely chopped celery

Directions:

In a small bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork until partly pasty.

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Blend in the liquids (whatever combination you want).

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Add the rest of the ingredients, and adjust the seasonings to taste. I garnish with extra chopped tomatoes and chili powder.

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Excellent served with pita chips, but any bread will do. Great served with lettuce or avocado too! You can be creative with this recipe, but I love this combination! :)

Black Bean Tacos with Butternut Squash Hummus

~ Joy ~ 5 Comments

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I love these tacos. My mom loves them even more. After a few bites she exclaimed, “I think this is my new favorite meal!”

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Butternut Squash Hummus

I don’t think I’d go that far, but it was definitely a fun recipe to concoct and eat! These tacos are colorful, scrumptious, and vegetarian. That’s what I’m talking about! :)

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This recipe makes about eight large tacos or sixteen small ones (I found one large taco to be quite filling). It fed our family of seven well and we had leftovers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can organic sweet corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs Cajun Seasoning
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Serve with:

  • Whole Wheat Tortillas*
  • Butternut Squash Hummus**
  • spinach
  • 2 tomatoes, thinly slices
  • Additional toppings: salsa, sour cream, and slices of avocado.

Directions:

  1. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the chopped onion, and saute until the onion is tender.
  3. Add the sliced peppers, and saute until the peppers are beginning to get tender (this will take several minutes).
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook until heated through.

To Serve:

Spread Butternut Squash Hummus in the center of each tortilla and top with a handful of spinach. Next layer on the beans, tomatoes, and additional topping as desired. Enjoy!

Notes:

*I made my own tortillas beforehand using a doubled version of this recipe. It made 16 very large tortillas.

**The Butternut Squash Hummus gives these tacos their signature taste, but I imagine it could be substituted with refried beans for easier prep work.

Tex-Mex Spaghetti Squash

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment
Tex-Mex Spaghetti Squash
Inspired by one of my favorite blogs, Oh She Glows, this vegan dish of spaghetti squash topped with beans and guacamole is a delicious meal.

Ingredients:

  • 2 spaghetti squash
  • 2 (15 oz) cans chili beans
  • 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans
  • 1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 oz) can corn, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 package taco seasoning mix (I use this homemade taco seasoning mix)
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • optional topping: guacamole (I make my own guacamole using this recipe)

Directions:

  1. Roast the spaghetti squash for about 35 minutes (here is a great tutorial on how).
  2. While the squash is roasting, combine the beans, diced tomatoes, seasoning, and onion in a pot and cook on medium low heat until heated through.
  3. As soon as the spaghetti squash is done roasting, scrape out the flesh with a fork. Serve the beans over the spaghetti squash and top with guacamole if desired.