Easy Pumpkin Pasta – Single Serving

Easy Pumpkin Pasta – Single Serving

by | Oct 30, 2017 | Health, Home, Recipes

Y’all know I’m hardcore into pumpkin these days.  I just love my orange vegetables and fall produce is chock full of them.  Sweet potatoes, acorn squash, pumpkin, butternut squash—I like them all.   

Fun fact: at a recent doctor’s appointment, I was told that my skin color looked a bit orange.  The doctor asked if I drink a lot of carrot juice.  I haven’t had carrot juice in years but I do eat A LOT of orangey fruit and veg.  I tried abstaining from beta carotene rich plants for, like, a week and then luteal phase happened.  Soooo I’m in squash heaven right now and will get back to human civilization (aka skin color) sometime in the future. 

For now, we have pumpkin pasta to enjoy! 

Just like my Broccoli and Carrot Pasta with Parlsey-Cilantro Pesto, this pasta recipe is also adaptable.  I like using sage or thyme in this recipe but italian seasoning or curry powder would probably taste really good, as well! 

I served mine with some fresh salad greens (as shown) but try mixing in 2 handfuls of spinach!  The greens wilt slightly from the heat of the pasta and there is definitely enough pumpkin sauce to go around.  It’s super creamy without any milk!   

As a finishing touch, I like to toast some walnuts to add a bit of a savory crumble to the dish.  You could also just sprinkle more nutritional yeast or some hemp seeds to pump up the protein.  Whatever spin you take on this, let me know by tagging me on Instagram or leaving a comment down below.  I greatly value your feedback 🙂 

Recipe time!  

Pumpkin Pasta
Recipe Type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • A 2 or 3 oz serving of pasta
  • 1 ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp ground sage or thyme
  • ¼ to ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp toasted walnuts, for topping
Instructions
  1. Boil a serving of pasta (2 or 3 oz works) until al dente.
  2. In a bowl, mix up 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp ground sage, and salt (I like a scant 1/2 tsp).
  3. When pasta is cooked, reserve half a cup of water before draining.
  4. In the bowl, or the pot you boiled the pasta, add the pumpkin mixture to the pasta. Add 3-4 tbsp of reserved cooking water to create a saucey texture. And you’re finished!
  5. I like to add toasted walnuts to the top but this pasta also tastes delish with spinach mixed in. Feel free to sprinkle extra nutritional yeast, too 😉

This recipe is made in participation of the #Banzaplus5 recipe contest on Instagram.  See my other entry here.

Broccoli and Carrot Penne Pasta with Parsley-Cilantro Pesto

Broccoli and Carrot Penne Pasta with Parsley-Cilantro Pesto

by | Oct 23, 2017 | Health, Home, Recipes

If you glance into my fridge, you’re almost guaranteed to see a jar of pesto sitting on the top shelf.  I’m constantly making new jars of pesto and/or freezing pesto in an ice cube tray.  I buy lots of fresh herbs and, when my stock runs high, I’ll toss them into the food processor with some olive oil for pesto.   It’s perfect to have on hand for pasta, salads, and more!

I remember when I first started making pesto I thought it could only be made with basil leaves.  Boy, has my mind changed.  The classic basil pesto is delicious but I am equally enamored by my favorite parsley-cilantro pesto.   

Pesto is super versatile in the sense that you can use any greens you have (hey, kale pesto!).  Here are just a few things that make a difference for me when making pesto: 

  • An absolute must for me is toasting the nuts.  I know it’s an step you might want to be lazy and skip over.  Though, whether you buy raw or pre-roasted nuts, toasting them on the skillet before adding to pesto sauce is the ultimate flavor enhancer. 
  • Don’t skip out on the olive oil.  A good quality olive oil really MAKES the pesto.  Bad olive oil or all water in the pesto are not going to help it enhance your food. 
  • Salt is a must.  Taste as you go along but it’s better to have the pesto slightly salty than not enough salt.  The pesto gets mixed into the rest of your food so the saltiness won’t stay so concentrated. 

Onto the pasta recipe!   

Broccoli and Carrot Penne Pasta with Parsley Cilantro Pesto
Recipe Type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • 2 oz of short cut pasta (I used penne)
  • 1 1/2 c chopped broccoli
  • 1/2 c chopped carrot
  • 3 heaping tbsp of homemade pesto (see notes)
  • Hemp seeds, for topping
  • Nutritional yeast, for topping
  • Lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
  1. Boil water and add pasta.
  2. Once cooked, add chopped broccoli and carrots, plus a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes or until tender.
  3. Drain pasta water. Stir in 3 tbsp pesto.
  4. Pour pasta into a bowl and top with a nice sprinkle of hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy! <img draggable=”false” data-mce-resize=”false” data-mce-placeholder=”1″ data-wp-emoji=”1″ class=”emoji” alt=”💁” src=”https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2.3/svg/1f481.svg”>
Notes
Cilantro Parlsey Pesto Recipe:[br]2 cups of fresh cilantro and parsley (I do about 1 ½ cups cilantro, ½ cup parsley)[br]½ cup roasted/toasted mixed nuts (I used almonds and cashews)[br]1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil[br]1 tbsp lemon juice[br]2-4 tbsp water, as needed[br]1 small clove of garlic[br]¼-½ tsp salt[br]Black pepper, to taste[br]A small pinch of red pepper flakes[br]Add all ingredients to a food processor and combine until a smooth paste forms. Thin it out with a few extra tablespoons of water or oil as needed.

This recipe was made as an entry into the #Banzaplus5 recipe contest on Instagram.  Feel free to use your favorite pasta!

Sweet and Smoky “Meatballs”

Sweet and Smoky “Meatballs”

by | Jun 27, 2017 | Home, Recipes

First and foremost, thank you to Attune Foods for making this post possible!

If you’ve been hanging around here for any short amount of time, you know that I’m a big fan of sweet treats and breakfast foods.  What may come as a surprise is how much savory food appeals to me, too!  As a matter of fact, I love spiced dishes like curries, southwestern fajitas, or my Tex-Mex quinoa taco “meat”.  As for main dishes, I’ve been meaning to expand my blog’s recipe archives with some yummy veggie patties or meatballs for a lunch/dinner entree. 

Enter: Sweet and Smoky Meatballs

sweet and smoky meatballs

I’m all about making recipes as easy as possible so these plant-based meatballs come together in little time and without any wild ingredients.  The only thing you might need to pick up is a box of Purple Corn Flakes Peace Cereal.  When Attune Foods sent over a few products for me to try, I knew the pretty purple corn flakes would be fun to add texture to some vegetarian patties. 

I’m not too big on a bowl for breakfast but cereals can be such a versatile ingredient for cooking!  The purple corn flakes are what provides the sweetness in the “sweet and smoky” element of my meatballs.  These non-GMO corn flakes are also crispier than traditional corn flakes so that contributes a unique texture and flavor that you won’t want to miss!  As a bonus, I love that the cereal is made from organic corn flour and organic brown rice flour so the meatballs are gluten free! 

Sometimes veggie patties or meatballs can be a miss with my meat-eating family but I received pretty great reviews on these!  Looks like I’ll be cooking them up again soon. 😉 Let me know if you try them out!

sweet and smoky meatballs

Sweet and Smoky “Meatballs”
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Vegetarian, Vegan
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10-12 meatballs
These plant-based meatballs come together easily, in little time, and without any wild ingredients.
Ingredients
  • Olive oil, for cooking
  • ½ cup white onion, chopped
  • ½ cup carrot, diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped or minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 ½ cups lentils or white beans, well-drained*
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika + ½ tsp for coating
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/3 cup packed chopped tomato (about 1 small roma)
  • 1 cup Purple Corn Flakes Peace Cereal + ¾ cup for coating
  • Lime juice, optional for serving
Instructions
  1. In a cast-iron skillet, on medium heat, warm olive oil. Add sauté the onion, carrot, and garlic until soft. Then, remove from heat.
  2. Using a food processor, grind 1 cup of the purple corn cereal until a fine meal is achieved.
  3. In a bowl, mash the drained beans or lentils and add spices. The texture should be mashed and chunky but not pureed. Add in the skillet mixture, along with the cilantro, tomato, and ground cereal. The mixture should look thick and slightly on the dry side.
  4. To make the coating, add the remaining ¾ cup of the cereal, along with ½ tsp of smoked paprika, to the food processor. Process until a choppy meal is achieved. Then, transfer to a zip-top baggie.
  5. At this point, cover the bowl of the meatball mixture and store in the fridge for later or form into 10-12 balls for immediate use.
  6. When ready to cook, heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet. Add one meatball to the baggie with the cereal coating and shake. Add the cereal-coated meatball to the skillet. Repeat with remaining meatballs. With the pan on medium heat, continue rotating the meatballs until they are browned all over.
  7. Serve warm with a squeeze of lime. They pair nicely with a salad or sautéed greens. Cauliflower mashed potatoes or roasted veggies would also be delicious.
Notes
*I tried two different versions of this recipe using white beans and then lentils. The white bean version seemed to allow a slightly more prominent smoky flavor but the lentil version is excellent, too. I suppose you could substitute other beans like black beans, though I haven’t tested that myself.

Thank you to Attune Foods for sending me Peace Cereal and allowing me to showcase a recipe with their purple corn flakes.  See their store locator to find Peace Cereal near you.