Curried Away Soup

Quick, check your fridge!

Do you have a shriveling apple or two? Or some random veggies that you need to use up?

Make them into delicious soup!

Curried Away Soup

olive oil
1-2 apples, diced
1/2 sweet potato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pinch salt
4-6 cups water
toppings: croutons, dried cherries, cilantro leaves, a drizzle of olive oil

In a medium sauce pot, add olive oil, onions, and garlic. Once the onions start to soften, add the sweet potatoes, apples, curry powder, cayenne, and salt. Let the sweet potatoes and apples start to soften. Add water until its just covering the apples and veggies. Simmer until everything is very soft. Let it cool slightly. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend the soup until a smoother consistency. Serve warm with whatever toppings you have around! Yay for yumminess!

Use what ever veggies you have laying around! Clean out your fridge, friends!!

xoxo Sam

Fun for Everyone No Bakes!

Why are these cookies fun for everyone?

Because they are delicious! (vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free if you use GF oats!)

Fun for Everyone No Bakes!

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seed butter, chunky or smooth
1 tbsp vanilla
1 pinch salt

In your favorite sauce pan, bring the sugar, soy milk, vegan butter, and cocoa powder to a boil, stir and make sure it doesn't burn, then boil for a minute. Remove from heat and add sunflower butter, vanilla, and salt. Add the oats last. Mix very well!
Drop lumps of the oatmeal goo on to sheets of wax paper. Let the cookies sit out at room temperature until cooled and hardened. I dare you to not eat them in the mean time! Yay! Yum!

For the original version, go to Food Network!

xoxo Sam

Honey Buffalo Tempeh (for your face)

Who loves honey?

Who loves buffalo sauce?

Who loves to eat wings? I do, but I won't make them. 

I am lazy and never buy meat. So I make my favorite meaty dishes meatless.

Serve this as a sandwich or with steamed veggies or in a wrap!

Honey Buffalo Tempeh (for your face)

oil

1/2 onion, sliced

1 block tempeh, cut in half lengthwise and sliced or diced

1-2 tbsp honey

 1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

In your favorite skillet, saute the onion in oil. Add the tempeh and let it start to brown. Sprinkle in the garlic powder. Add the honey and cayenne pepper sauce. Cook until the tempeh is coated nicely and the sauce is warm.

Serve on a hot dog bun, toasted bread, or roll with veggies and ranch/ blue cheese dressing. I had pickles, carrots, melted cheese, and spinach on my roll. Enjoy!

xoxo Sam

Cheese Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Yes, they are as good as they sound.

They are so easy to make and love, for all of your entertaining needs!

You can make them without the bacon for your veggie friends, but that's why hostesses invented cheese balls. Don't mess with the original (at least with these).

Cheese Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Dates

1 package dates
1 block cheese (your favorite)
1 package bacon (strips cut in half)
toothpicks!

Preheat oven to 425.
Cut hunks of cheese to the size of an almond- one for each date. Cut a slit in the side of each date and remove the pit. Stuff cheese into each date. Wrap each stuffed date with bacon (it should be almost the perfect size) and secure with a toothpick.
Bake for 20-25 minutes on a sheet pan until the bacon is cooked and crispy. EAT!!

These are so lovely because they are soft, crisp, sweet, savory, and delicious. Try them out for your Superbowl party this year! To get the original version, go to The Pioneer Woman!

xoxo Sam

Best Smoothie Ever

Yes, you can make them yourself! The easiest breakfast ever. The blender, that dear soul, does all the work for you! How nice!!

Cheaper and more healthful than that $5 latte. I promise. No caffeine, (though tea would be a great addition) but let's start waking up on nutrients!! YAY.

Change the recipe to include your favorite things. I picked all of mine, you should too.

Best Smoothie Ever

1 1/2 cups water (or brewed tea)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 banana, broken into a few pieces
sprinkle of turmeric
sprinkle of cinnamon
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup frozen mango hunks

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
Oh yeah baby! Its really that easy. I topped mine with a bit of granola because I can.

GO FORTH AND MAKE GOOD SMOOTHIES!

xoxo Sam

Stuffed Shell Casserole

I think that this is my favorite casserole!

(Actually, I say that about every casserole, but I REALLY do love this one.)

You can make it with ANY kind of pasta. Not just medium-sized shells.

I made it with spaghetti squash (pictured below) and it was just as amazing.

The weather hasn't been very Christmassy, but if you'd like some delish comfort food, you really need to get cozy with this casserole!

Stuffed Shell Casserole

1 lb pasta (usually medium-sized shells or 1 spaghetti squash)
15 oz ricotta cheese
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups frozen spinach (from a bag, not box), broken up
1 egg
salt & pepper
1 cup shredded Italian cheese (like mozzarella), divided
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350.
Bring water in your favorite stock pot to a boil and cook pasta until al dente (or bake your spaghetti squash like a butternut squash here until tender).
Meanwhile, mix ricotta, garlic, spinach, egg, salt & pepper, and 1/2 cup cheese in a large bowl.
Spray a 13x9 casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour half the jar of sauce in the dish, spread to cover the entire bottom.
When the pasta (or squash) is cooked, add to the ricotta mixture and stir. Pour all of the ricotta/ pasta mixture on top of the sauce. Top the casserole with the remaining sauce and the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes until the center is hot and the cheese is bubbly.
ENJOY!

I hope that you enjoy this SUPER EASY DELISH casserole as much as I do!! Its perfect for unexpected dinners with the family this holiday season.

xoxo Sam

ChickpeaTuna Salad

This dish is fish free, so don't be scared!!

Have you ever been out of meat-variety proteins for your sandwich and felt up-a-creek?

Well, guess what? If you have listened to me at all, you have beans in your cupboard or in your pantry, just waiting for you to use them, pay attention to them, and to love them.

Don't play games with your beans. Be nice to our plant-based protein friends, please.

Make them into the star of your lunch time. You'll be happy you did it. And they'll be happy too. Yay for lunch friends!

ChickpeaTuna Salad

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 celery sticks
7 baby carrots
1/8th small onion (use as much as you'd like)
4 pickle spears (or 2 tbsp pickle relish)
1-2 tbsp mayo
2 tsp hot sauce (if you wish)
salt & pepper to taste

Use the food processor to pulse the chickpeas into a very chunky tuna-like consistency (or smash with a fork, potato masher, fist, you know- whatever works). Pour into a mixing bowl.
Add the celery sticks, carrots, onion, and pickles into the food processor. Pulse until the consistency of relish. Add to the chickpeas.
Add the mayo, hot sauce, salt & pepper. Mix until combined! Serve with crackers, in a pita, on top of a green salad, or in between two pieces of naan bread! YUM!
You should use veggies that you love in your ChickpeaTuna! Adding red peppers is another favorite!

I added spinach, cucumbers, and more hot sauce to my sandwich!!

xoxo Sam