Vegan Spinach, Tomato, and ‘Cheese’ Gnocchi

I’m here to share with y’all the easiest, fastest, yummiest recipe I’ve tried in YEARS. Believe me when I say that mealtimes can be frustrating at our hive. Fortunately my little bees aren’t super picky eaters, but they definitely have their opinions, and the bay-bee has been throwing fits at the supper table for awhile now. (He’s just at that glorious age where he realizes he could be playing instead of eating at that time) There have been plenty of nights when I’ve served sandwiches for supper, ordered pizza, or hit up a drive thru. There is NO SHAME in that, y’all. We’ve got to be gracious with ourselves.

So when I do come across something that is a hit...I always share it here for y’all...ans for my own filing away for later purposes. ;) I made a pretty big batch because I’m all about having leftovers. This recipe will feed our hive of five (2 adults and 3 kids ages 9,6,2.5) three times. Keep that in mind if you follow the recipe below. Of course...who doesn’t love having extra to put in the freezer for later on? Did I mention it was super duper easy, extremely fast, healthy and vegan, and DELIGHTFULLY DELICIOUS?!

Ingredients:
4 16oz packages of store bought Gnocchi (I like using Gia Russa because they have a vegan option. Actually I like making my own gnocchi, but that’s a different post for a different day)
5oz Spinach
4 cans diced tomatoes, drained (or dice 6-8 fresh...that’s best, I just had canned on hand)

For the Sauce:
4 cups Almond milk (or whichever milk you prefer)
2 cups raw cashews (I use unsalted halves)
3/4 cup Nutritional Yeast (This is the ‘cheese’ part)
8 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt

Directions:
1. Bring 6 quarts water to boil, then add gnocchi. You’ll know the gnocchi is finished when they float to the top! Takes about 3 minutes.

2. Place your spinach in the bottom of your colander, and drain your gnocchi through it! This will wilt your spinach for you in one, easy, foolproof step. You’re welcome. ;)

3. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. (We have a Vitamix. If you don’t have a high powered blender you’ll need to soak your cashews overnight or bring them to a boil for a few minutes first to soften them.)

4. Place gnocchi and spinach back in your pot. Add your diced tomatoes and sauce.

5. Return pot to the stove to warm together for a few minutes and for sauce to thicken just a bit.

6. Dip out in a bowl, grab a spoon, and be prepared to be amazed.

This maybe took me 20 minutes to throw together, and most of that was just waiting on the water to come to a boil for the gnocchi to cook in! I’m so excited about this recipe and hope you love it too! All my bees gave it a 10/10. The hub-bee even had a second helping and asked for it to be a monthly meal.

I’m planning on experimenting with this recipe again to make another yummy pasta dish, and y’all will be the first to hear all about it. Let me know if you try this out!

<3

Lunchtime Alternative: Burritos

Hey y'all! It's been a hot minute since I've made a blog post, and I'm not even going to pretend to be sorry about it...I've been enjoying life with my hive! Maybe I'll do a catch up post later on...because I really am missing blogging and am wanting to get back to it regularly, but for now I want to share on of my go-to recipes for a lunchtime alternative. It's super quick, easy, and yummy!

Burritos!

Ingredients:

16oz Rice...I used some yellow Mexican style
2 cans Black Beans drained and rinsed
2 Onions diced
2 Carrots diced
1 Green Bell Pepper diced
1 can Rotel
1 cup Lentils...I used the red kind
Salt and Taco Seasoning to taste
Olive Oil for sauteing

Directions:

1. Cook your rice according to the package directions.

2. Saute your onions, carrots, and green bell pepper in some olive oil until soft. Add some salt while sauteing.

3. Start your lentils...cook according to the package directions.

 (my lentils turned mushy...read on to see what I did with them)

4. Add your can of Rotel to your sauteed onions, carrots, peppers.

5. Add your taco seasoning. I'd say I added maybe a tablespoon??? I make my own, and I never really measure this...I just eye ball it. ;)

6. Add your black beans to your sauteed onions, carrots, and peppers.

7. Mix everything together!

8. Serve on tortillas and enjoy!

So while cooking my lentils this time they somehow went completely mushy. Not sure what happened. I blame it on the fact that I was chasing my two year old around during all of this too. Either way...one of my motto's is, "You don't mess up, you create more" so my mushy lentils became "refried lentil beans" for us. :) I plated this meal starting with a smear of "refried lentil beans," added a scoop of burrito filling, and wrapped it up.

This is a big hit in our hive, and we have burritos once a week. The good thing about this recipe is that it makes a lot! We eat it fresh when I cook it, and then I go ahead and split it into quart sized freezer bags. I've learned that about three big serving spoonfuls in each bag will feed us once for the week. This gives me five(!) weeks of lunches...at least for one day a week...hey, I'll take it! ;)

Another great thing about this recipe is that you can pretty much adapt it however you want. Have some extra mushrooms? Throw those in! Want to add in some wilted spinach? Go for it! The combinations are endless! I can't wait to hear what you think if you try this recipe! Share your version if you make any adjustments!

<3

Basic Black Bean Burger

If you're in need of a really solid, basic, black bean burger...then I'm your peach.

This burger recipe is easy, quick, fool proof, and can be easily customized to your taste preference. Believe me when I say that it is a staple in our hive.

We have had it paired with simple ketchup, mustard, mayo toppings.
We have had it paired with sauteed peppers and onions.
We have had it "California style" with avocado slices.
We have had it...do you get my point?

Have it however you like it! Just make sure you have it!

Today I'm showing you how to have it with a super fresh pineapple salsa. Nom. Nom. Nom.

This makes a big batch of Burgers for me. I like to be able to eat it fresh twice, and also have some to freeze for a later time. (When there's a lot of buzzing going around our hive and I don't feel like cooking.) You can certainly half the recipe if you'd like. 

Basic Black Bean Burger  

Ingredients: 


I failed to take a picture of my ingredients this time. My apologies, y'all.


For the Burgers...
Olive Oil for cooking

2 Onions (diced finely) 

2 15oz cans Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

2 Carrots (shredded)

1 cup Cornmeal 

1 cup Bread Crumbs

1 tablespoon Chili Powder

2 teaspoons Sea Salt

1/2 Cilantro (chopped)

1/2-1 cup Water (varies depending on how your mixture binds)


For the Pineapple Salsa...
1 1/2 cups Pineapple (diced)

1/4 cup Red Onion (diced finely)

1 tablespoon Cilantro (chopped)

1 tablespoon Agave

Directions:

1. Add Black Beans, Carrots, Cornmeal, Bread Crumbs, Chili Powder, Salt, Cilantro to a large bowl. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, saute your diced Onions in Olive Oil until soft and slightly caramelized. Transfer cooked Onions to large bowl with other ingredients. Reserve skillet for later.

3. Use a large spoon or your hands to mash it all together. Add water as necessary to help it bind together. (I typically start with a spoon, then use my hands. I used about 3/4 cup water for my burgers this time.) Your mixture should not be so dry that it is crumbling, but not so wet that it is sticky.

4. Use your hands to form into burger patties. (This time I made 16 patties)

5. In the reserved skillet, heat your Olive Oil over medium-high heat. Pan fry patties 3-5 minutes on each side until lightly browned.

6. To make the Pineapple Salsa...combine all ingredients in a bowl...you're done!

7. Place Black Bean Burgers on a bun, top with Pineapple Salsa, and take a big bite!

How did y'all like this recipe? What is your favorite way to top your Black Bean Burger? Let me know!

<3


 

Thai Peanut Butter Noodles

Hey y'all!

Ever get the craving for some really yummy Thai food? I know I do. Since we have relocated we have yet to find a great Thai restaurant in our new hometown. That could potentially be due to the fact that we don't eat out a lot, but I digress.

First off, don't be scared by the name of this meal. I was slightly intimidated by the idea of it myself initially, but I gave it a go anyway. I know that the first time I made it and my kids asked the all important question, "What are we having for supper?" and I answered by telling them that we were having Peanut Butter Noodles...I was met with faces and sounds of disgust. I can assure you that this meal is far from disgusting, and in fact, my kids eat it happily. (As do I and my hubby. Yum.)

Secondly, you CAN cook Thai food. It is really very easy, and this meal especially is quick and painless. ;) Don't doubt yourself here. Expand your palate...you may find that this meal becomes a regular in your household. 

Without further ado, here is my go to recipe when I'm craving Thai food.

Thai Peanut Butter Noodles

Ingredients:

1 pound Rice Noodles

1 cup Coconut Milk

1/2 cup Water

1/4 Maple Syrup

1/4 Soy Sauce

1/2 Peanut Butter (we prefer creamy, but you can use chunky too)

1 teaspoon Chili-Garlic Sauce

3 cloves Garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons Lime Juice

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

3 Scallions (thinly sliced)

2 Carrots (peeled and shredded)

1/2 cup Peanuts

2 tablespoons Cilantro (chopped for garnish)



Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add Rice Noodles and cook about 5-8 minutes.

2. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, return to pot.

3. Make sauce by combining Coconut Milk, Water, Maple Syrup, Soy Sauce, Peanut Butter, Chili-Garlic Sauce, and Garlic in medium saucepan. Let cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until sauce thickens just a bit.

4. Remove sauce from heat and add in Lime Juice and Sesame Oil.

5. Pour sauce into cooked noodles and toss to combine. Add in Scallions and Carrots.

6. Garnish with Peanuts and Cilantro and enjoy!

Talk about easy and quick! I would love to hear if you've tried this recipe and how you liked it. Let me know!

<3

Sauteed Garlic Chickpeas, Onions, and Spinach with Quinoa

During the summertime I love finding new recipes to try out for my Hive. Here's one that I've been wanting to share with y'all. It's super easy, requires few ingredients, doesn't cost an arm and a leg, is healthy, and...oh yeah...yummy too! I should also note that this is a vegan recipe, but I encourage you to give it a try even if you don't typically eat that way...you made find that you love it anyway!

This feeds our family twice in a week when we eat it alongside a salad, but you could easily double the recipe to feed more people or have bigger portions, if needed.

Ingredients: 

5-8oz Spinach (depends on how much you prefer)

1 Onion diced

1 15oz can Chickpeas

1 tablespoon Minced Garlic (about 2 cloves minced)

1 teaspoon Cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil for sauteing (is that even a word?!)

1 cup Quinoa

2 cups Water

You'll want to make the components of this dish simultaneously, but since I'm not your Momma, I'm not going to tell you what order to do it all in...so here's the directions for how to cook both parts. ;)

Directions for Chickpeas and Spinach:

1. Heat oil in large skillet.

2. Drain and rinse your chickpeas.

3. Add garlic to skillet and cook until fragrant...about 1-2 minutes.

4. Add diced onion and cook until soft.

5. Add spinach, chickpeas, and cumin to the skillet. Your skillet will look very full, but don't worry! The spinach reduces itself as it cooks.

6. Stir, stir, stir until spinach fully wilts and chickpeas are cooked through.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste, and that part is done!

Directions for Quinoa:

1. Combine 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water in a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Turn to low, cover, and let simmer about 15 min, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot.

3. Uncover for about 5 min and fluff before serving.

I like serving this dish all combined...I just go ahead and mix it all up so it's evenly distributed. Supper is served!

Y'all let me know if you tried the recipe and how you enjoyed it!
<3

Chocolate Chip Cookies...again!

Ok, ok, so we reeeeeally like chocolate chip cookies here at the Hive, and my last batch of cookies have been gone for awhile so it was time to make a new batch.

Today I decided to be adventurous in the kitchen...and make another mess...and create a brand new cookie recipe. The last cookie recipe that I shared with you makes a slightly crunchy cookie, and I'm determined to make a chewy version. I'd say that today I was pretty successful. After baking the cookies and sampling them, because you must sample them, Ava said, "Mom, you get 1,289 points for these," and Lyla said, "It's almost too much good to eat!" Jason has yet to try them, but I can almost guarantee that he'll be sampling them as soon as he gets home.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, melted (I use Earth Balance as it is vegan)

1 cup brown sugar (I had dark brown sugar on hand this time)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons water if needed

1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand as they are vegan)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, use a mixer to blend the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.

4. Mix in the dry ingredients a little at a time until it is all incorporated. You many need to add some water to achieve the proper texture for your mixture. Mine started to get a bit crumbly so I added in about 2 tablespoons water and it was perfect.

5. Using a spoon, stir in your chocolate chips. To be honest, I don't usually measure out my chocolate chips beforehand...I just add enough to make it look yummy.

6. Make about 1 inch balls out of your cookie dough and place on your cookie sheet. Place them about 2 inches apart. This batch made about 4 dozen cookies for me.

7. Bake at 325 for about 12-14 minutes.

8. Try to not to eat all of the cookies before your husband gets home from work. ;)

Enjoy! And let me know if you tried this recipe out!

<3

Looking For A Lunchtime Alternative?

I'm all about routine and such, even with my meal planning, but sometimes I just cannot bring myself to eat yet another peanut butter and honey (we prefer honey to jelly here at the Hive) sandwich. I also started to feel a little guilty serving the same lunches to my kids every. single. day.  I decided a couple of weeks ago that I was going to commit to adding a little variety to our lunches, and discussed it with my girls. I asked them what they would want to try and mix into our lunches so that we were only eating 2 or maybe 3 sandwiches a week. They gave several suggestions, one of them being chicken nuggets. I told them that I was not going to be giving them chicken nuggets on the regular. Every once and awhile I'll treat them to it, but remember...we're vegan over here.

So I started brainstorming, and making a mess in my kitchen. Today I give you my recipe for "Chickpea Nuggets." Believe me when I say that my kids devoured these. Essentially this was going to be a "Chickpea Burger" for lunch, but then I got the bright idea to cut them into small bite sized pieces (after they were cooked) and voila...nuggets! I also apologize for the lack of pictures throughout this process, but we currently have a broken camera. You can read all about that here.

This is the recipe I use to make about 20 burger patties (about 2 inch patties). I cook some for the day I'm using them and then freeze the rest. You can certainly half the recipe if needed. In fact, the next time I make it I will probably make half in my food processor at a time. It works fine to do it all at once, but requires you to scrape down the sides of your food processor several times, as it is so full. I think it would be easier to manage if I cut the recipe in half and then just run the food processor twice. Hope that makes sense. :)

Ingredients:

2 15oz cans Chickpeas

1 15oz can Whole Peeled Tomatoes

1 cup Breadcrumbs

1 cup Walnuts

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1 teaspoon Nature's Seasoning

Canola Oil for pan frying your patties


Directions:

1. Drain and rinse your Chickpeas and put into a food processor.

2. Add your breadcrumbs, walnuts, lemon juice, sea salt, onion powder, nature's seasoning, and pulse.

3. Add in your whole tomatoes...no juice...just the actual tomatoes. I like to add these in 1 at a time to monitor the consistency of the mixture, but I usually end up using 4 tomatoes. (Remember if you are halving your recipe to only use half the tomatoes in the can.)

4. Make your patties. I usually make about 2 inch patties, maybe it's because I have small hands, but you can certainly make larger patties if you prefer.

Yes, I know there are only 15 patties in the picture...trust me there were more. :)

5. Heat your skillet over medium heat. Add oil to about 1/2 standing and heat. Cook your patties about 3-5 minutes on each side or until desired brownness.

6. Serve as burgers if you'd like. On a bun, without a bun, toppings galore! OR cut into quarters to serve as "nuggets"

These are quick and easy to whip up...we're talking 20 minutes start to finish. They make the everyday boring lunch more delicious and healthy! What's not to love? My girls like to have a little dipping sauce (ketchup, honey mustard, etc) along with them too. Let me know if you tried this recipe and how you liked it!

<3

Supper anyone?

Remember when I said that I was going to start a series about recipes? Welp...here's another!

How do you feel about Italian food? Like it, love it, hate it? It is my most favorite type of food to eat. Nothing is yummier to me than Italian food...well ok...desserts, but I digress. So it's Italian food for supper tonight and I know what you're expecting, a big pile heavy of pasta right? Nope, not tonight! Let me introduce you to the yummiest Italian soup ever. This recipe is for one of our most favorite soups (yes, it's vegan). We eat it year round. It is seriously delicious, light, filling, and super easy to make. You serve it over garlic bread and will prolly want to eat more than one serving. We call it "Italian Soup over Garlic Bread." Real original, huh?

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

4 cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, divided in half

6 cups vegetable broth, divided

2 onions, diced

6 cloves garlic

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

4-6 cups of greens (Your choice on quantity, some people like more some like less. Also I've used lots of variations of greens...boston lettuce, spinach, escarole, leafy green lettuce. This time I'm using kale. Find the green you like best and then use it here.)

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced (Trust me on the no seed part...it makes it gloopy if you leave them in, think stewed okra. We actually like stewed okra, but prefer not to have that texture in this soup.)

Garlic bread (We make our own garlic bread by using a fresh french loaf from the store, slicing it in half longways, brushing olive oil across, sprinkling minced garlic on top, and baking it in the oven at 350 degrees until it is the desired brown-ness...maybe 5-10 minutes? You can certainly use pre-made garlic bread if you'd like.)

Directions:

Make your bean puree by combining 2 cans of drained and rinsed cannellini beans and 2 cups vegetable broth in a food processor. Process until smooth and set aside.

1. Prep your items!

2. In a large pot saute your onions until soft.

3. Add in garlic, red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and let cook a few minutes more.

4. Stir in your greens. Keep stirring until they have wilted.

5. Add in your remaining broth, diced tomatoes, remaining cannellini beans, and stir.

6. Add in your bean puree and season with more salt to taste.

7. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and allow to simmer for at least 20 minutes.

8. Break your garlic bread up into pieces and put in the bottom of your bowl, ladle your soup over your garlic bread, serve, and enjoy!

Let me know if you try this recipe and how you like it!

<3