Crispy Vegetable Lavash Wraps with Spicy Hummus dip

I love wraps! I make them all the time. I created this on a whim the other day, just out of things we had around, and it was such a delicious and healthy wrap! I especially loved how the dip turned out. I just took a store bought hummus, and "doctored" it up a little to make it something more interesting and special for dipping. If you are not by a Trader Joe's, and can't get your hands on lavash wraps, just use a good, high quality whole grain tortilla. If you can get the lavash wraps, definitely go out of your way to get them, they get extra crunchy on the grill pan, and have such a great texture, and they are made with only a few ingredients (Stone ground whole wheat, water, yeast, and salt), so they are a really healthy option. Also, look for a plain flavored hummus for this recipe.

Crispyy Vegetable Lavash Wraps with Spicy Hummus Dip

What You Need:

Whole Wheat Lavash Wraps (from Trader Joe's) or high quality whole grain tortillas
1 container of plain hummus
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/4 of a large, or half of a smaller head of cabbage, shredded
3 small or 2 large zucchini, sliced
1/8 red onion, sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp regular paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt plus more to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Spicy Hummus Sauce (for dipping)

Place about 1/4 cup of hummus into a bowl. Add 1-2 Tbsp. of water and whisk.. You want it to be thin enough that you can dip easily, but no so thin that it is "watery". Just slightly thinner that it was originally. Add a pinch of paprika, and cayenne pepper to taste. Make it as hot as you like. We made ours pretty spicy!

To Make:

Sliced the vegetables into "matchsticks". Place in a large bowl and add the seasonings and 2 Tbsp. Olive oil. Toss with your hands to coat everything well. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the vegetable for about 5 minutes until just softened. Taste the mixture at this point, and add any additional salt and pepper to taste.
Add the filling to the lavash wrap or tortilla, and roll up. On a heated grill pan, or if you don't have one, a regular pan will work fine also, cook the wrap a few minutes on each side to get it nice and crispy. Slice the wraps in half, and serve them with the spicy Hummus Dipping Sauce.

Whole Wheat Lasagna with Italian "Sausage" and Peppers

I created this lasagna today with good old "comfort food" in mind, and I must say, it did not disappoint! I was very happy with how it turned out! Opt for whole wheat or brown rice lasagna noodles if you can find them to really up your fiber and whole grains. And if you like things spicy, add some red pepper flakes for a little kick!

Whole Wheat Lasagna with Italian "Sausage" and Peppers

What You Need:

1 box of whole wheat or brown rice lasagna noodles

1 (16-ounce) box of frozen spinach, thawed, squeeze excess water out

1 batch of Italian herbed tofu "ricotta" (recipe follows)

2 (26-ounce) jars of vegan marinara (I used a basil marinara)

4 vegan Italian "sausages" cut into cubes

2 green bell peppers, chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

vegan shredded cheese (enough to sprinkle on top only)

Italian herbed tofu "ricotta"

1 lb. extra firm tofu
Juice of 1 lemon

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 heaping Tbsp.nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt

black pepper to taste

4 Tbsp. chopped sun dried tomatoes

1 cup (a few huge handfuls) chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

To Make:

Press water out of tofu by wrapping in a clean towel, and placing a pot or pan on top for about 10-20 minutes. Crumble the tofu in a bowl, and add all other ingredients. Using a potato masher, smash up the tofu really well until it resembles ricotta cheese in texture. Set aside until ready to use.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water with 2 Tbsp olive oil to a boil, and cook noodles according to package. The oil will prevent the noodles from sticking together. Cook them for a few minutes less than suggested , so that they can finish cooking in the oven. When noodles are done cooking, drain and rinse in cold water.

While the noodles are cooking, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan, and saute sausage a few minutes. Use a potato masher to help crumble the sausage into slightly smaller pieces. Add 2 jars of marinara sauce and 2 chopped green peppers to the pan, and let simmer about 10 minutes.

To Assemble:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a rectangular pyrex glass dish, start layering your lasagna. Start by adding a little sauce on the bottom, then 4 noodles, then sauce, spinach, tofu ricotta, 4 noodles, sauce, spinach, ricotta,4 noodles, and then end with sauce and cover the top with shredded vegan cheese (you should have 3 layers of noodles). Cover top of dish with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 10 minutes until cheese melts a little on top. Let cool 5 minutes, and as always, Enjoy!

Chocolate Fudge Muffins

Yes, that is warm, melted, gooey chocolate staring you in the face.

Let's just say that chocolate and I are very good friends! These chocolaty fudgy muffins are my very favorite sweet snack to make, and they are pretty much guilt free, being made entirely from whole wheat and having virtually no fat aside from the vegan chocolate chips and a single tsp of oil! This recipe is just too good to not share with you all!

Chocolate Fudge Muffins

adapted from Bethenny Frankel's Joyful Heart Muffins

What You Need:

cooking spray

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp canola oi, or olive oil

1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar, or evaporated cane juice sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cups white whole wheat flour (this type of flour works best)

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

To Make:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8 muffin cups on the muffin tin. Mix the applesauce, 1 tsp canola oil, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry.

*this batter is deceiving! It will seem too thick and you may think it doesn't have enough moisture in it, but that is how it is supposed to be. Just make sure everything is incorporated and mixed well.*

Fill the 8 muffin cups, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to overcook these! The muffins are done when they are barely firm to the touch on the top. Let them cool for 10 or so minutes before eating.

These are yummiest when warmed, so when you are going to have one, reheat in the microwave for about 12 seconds for a perfect, warm, gooey brownie like muffin.

Tomato and Vegetable Soup with Sweet Pearl Barley

There are so many delicious grains that are so under appreciated! Barley is one of those! It is so good for you, and has a great texture and flavor! If you can find the sweet pearl barley, even better! It can be hard to find, but a lot of Asian food markets carry it for a great price, and it is even more tender and sweet. If you can't find the pearl barley, regular will do just fine in this soup. This was also very kid friendly! My kids loved it. Serve it with a toasted piece of Ezekiel Sprouted Grain low sodium bread spread with a little Earth Balance vegan butter to complete the meal.

Tomato and Vegetable Soup with Sweet Pearl Barley

What You Need:

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 carrots, diced

3 small zucchini, chopped 1/2 inch pieces

8 ounces fresh green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

12 ounces thin asparagus, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes with no added salt

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

6 cups of water with 3 vegan vegetable bouillon cubes or 6 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup sweet pearl barley

1 Tbsp dried dill

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Fresh basil, or dill for garnish

To Make:

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrots and saute until softened, about 4 or 5 minutes. In the meantime, puree the can of tomatoes in a blender until smooth and set aside.

Add the zucchini, green beans, asparagus, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute about 2 more minutes.

Add the pureed tomatoes, water with bouillon or vegetable broth, garbanzo beans, barley, dried dill, and 1 tsp sea salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low, covered, for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste soup and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each bowl with fresh chopped basil or fresh chopped dill, and serve a crusty piece of Ezekiel low sodium sprouted grain bread on the side.

This makes a lot, so you have have lots of leftovers for easy lunches during the week!

Whole Wheat Focaccia with Italian Herbs

Happy Weekend Everyone!

I have been receiving lots of emails from all of you on the recipes that you are trying and liking! I love to hear the feedback! It seems that everyone is especially liking the Black Bean Tacos with Corn and Avocado Salsa, and for good reason! They are so easy to make!

I made this whole wheat focaccia the other day and it was a nice, light lunch. My husband dipped his focaccia in marinara sauce, which was really good! But you can just have it plain too. We served this with a nice, simple salad with a quick homemade vinaigrette. And you can really top the bread with anything you want. Get creative!

Whole Wheat Focaccia with Italian Herbs

What you Need:
2 teaspoons of rapid-rising yeast
1 cup of warm water
2 Tbsp of sugar or succanat (or sweetener of choice)
3 1/2 to 4 cups of white whole wheat flour
3/4 tbsp sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
cornmeal for dusting pan
heavy baking sheet
warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping (optional)
For the toppings:
a few Tbsp of olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 minced garlic cloves
a few handfuls of olives, sliced
1 tsp of dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
about a tsp of sea salt (a few good pinches)
black pepper to taste

To Make:
In a large bowl or standing mixer, combine the yeast, water, and sugar. Dissolve and let sit for about 3-5 minutes, until the mixture gets foamy.
Mix the 3/4 tsp salt and 2 tbsp of water together to dissolve the salt, and then add that to the yeast mixture. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the mixture also.Turning the mixer on low, start adding the flour until the dough starts coming together, and is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape into a round ball. Place into an oiled bowl, and turn the dough a few times in the bowl to coat with a little oil. Cover the bowl with saran wrap, and let rise about 45 minutes, until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.
Once the dough has risen, turn the dough onto a surface, and shape and roll into a large rectangle to fit your baking sheet. Place the dough on the baking sheet, and cover again with plastic wrap to let rise another 15 minutes.
While the dough is rising, heat a few Tbsp. of olive oil in a saute pan, and caramelize the onions on medium/low heat for 15 minutes.
Uncover the dough, and dimple with your fingertips. Brush the dough with a little olive oil, and sprinkle the herbs, salt and pepper on it. Add the toppings, and bake on the bottom rack for about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, and enjoy plain or dipped in some warm marinara sauce.

Serve with a crisp side salad.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are rich, decadent, and dare I say, made from 100% whole grains! But dish em' out to those you love, and they will most definitely be fooled! I find that these work best if you use white whole wheat flour, which is just the same as regular whole wheat flour, only regular whole wheat is made from dark red wheat, and is slightly more bitter, while white whole wheat is made from albino wheat, which is slightly more mild and sweet in flavor. It tastes more like white flour would, but has all of the health benefits of wheat flour, like fiber and extra nutrients! Give it a try, it worked like a gem for these! I found the over sized vegan mint chocolate chips at Trader Joes, but if you can't find those, you could definitely just fold some regular sized mint chocolate chips into the batter. These were not a crunchy cookie at all, just perfect, slightly gooey, and super delicious!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

inspired by a recipe found here

What You Need:

3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened coca powder

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water combined well

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp Earth Balance butter (vegan butter)

1 tsp. vanilla

extra large vegan mint chocolate chips (can be found at Trader Joe's, they are large discs), or regular sized vegan chocolate chips if those can't be found. About 1/2 cup or so folded into the batter.

To Make:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place a sheet of parchment paper or a silpat on a heavy cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, or a Kitchenaid stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients. In a very small bowl mix the cornstarch with water and vanilla. Add the cornstarch mixture and Earth Balance butter to the dry ingredients and mix well. Place cookie dough on cookie sheet using a small cookie scooper (or about 1 Tbsp dough per cookie). Bake for 10 minutes, then open the oven and place 1 large chocolate chip in the center of each cookie, pressing down very gently. Place cookies back in the oven for an additional 2 minutes to finish cooking. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove from the cookie sheet to finish cooling.

Side Note:

*if using small chocolate chips, fold them into the cookie dough, and just bake the cookies for 12 minutes total*

Enjoy these with a cold glass of almond milk! YUM!

Black Bean Tacos with Corn and Avocado Salsa

In the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, I thought I would make some healthy tacos.

I served them with warmed corn tortillas that I picked up at Trader Joe's this week. These tacos were so fresh and delicious! You could also just make the Corn and Avocado Salsa and use it as dip with chips. Or pile a bunch on top of a burrito. Any way you have it, its good stuff!

Black Bean Tacos with Corn and Avocado Salsa

What You Need:

Soft Corn Tortillas

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Juice of 1 lime

crack of black pepper to taste

avocado and corn salsa (recipe follows)

To Make:

Heat black beans in a medium saucepan on low with cumin, sea salt, garlic power and pepper. Warm up a corn tortilla. Add a little of the black bean mixture, and top with lots of the fresh corn and avocado Salsa. You can add a few drops of hot sauce to this if you want.

Or you can do what I do and squeeze some Aniie's organic ketchup on top. Strange, I know,. Its a habit from my childhood that has stuck! I love ketchup on tacos! Wasn't anyone else served ketchup on their tacos? Or was it just me???

Corn and Avocado Salsa

What You Need:

3 cups frozen (thawed) corn

1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1 large avocado, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup (a few handfuls) of fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, taste and check seasonings to see if any additional salt and pepper is needed.

A little side note: Did you know that corn tortillas are a whole grain/complex carbohydrate? Just make sure when you are buying them that they have good, clean ingredients. If you live by a Trader Joe's, they have a really good one with only 3 ingredients (corn, water, lime) and they are made from fresh ground corn, not dry cornmeal. They are awesome!

Basil Pesto and Veggie Wraps with Sweet Potato Fries

A little while ago my family was eating at a favorite restaurant and we met a very cool couple there, who, after some talking, requested that I make my favorite sweet potato fries and post it on the blog for them.

So here ya go!

I paired it with a fresh crunchy wrap, which is pretty much one of my favorite meals. I love wraps! The fresh basil pesto made this extra yummy, and took seconds to make, literally!




Basil Pesto Wraps

What you Need:
Whole grain tortillas
Spinach, or romaine lettuce
Sliced red bell peppers

sliced cucumbers
Homemade Basil Pesto (recipe follows)
pinch of salt and pepper


Basil Pesto:
2 small cloves of garlic
2 cups (2 huge handfuls) fresh basil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp sea salt
pinch of black pepper
1 Tbsp. Nutritional yeast
1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, pulse all ingredients except the oil until mixed well. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until consistency desired for pesto (about 1/4 cup).


To Make the Wraps:
Lightly warm the tortilla. Place some basil pesto into the tortilla, and layer the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle with a tiny bit o salt and pepper. Roll up and serve with a side of sweet potato fries!



Sweet Potato Fries
To make:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub and cut 2 sweet potatoes into wedge shapes. Place in a bowl with about 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil and toss to coat. Lay evenly on a heavy baking sheet, and then sprinkle with about 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp. dried oregano, a few pinches of sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the fries are soft and lightly golden. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.