Spicy Veggie Sausage and County Potatoes

Spicy Veggie Sausage and County Potatoes

by | Nov 5, 2018 | Health, Home, Recipes

Tender skillet potatoes are a hearty companion to veggie sausage, and kale in this savory skillet dish.

veggie sausage and country potatoes

 

What is a food you’ve been afraid to eat but recently decided to incorporate?  I’ve learned many people tend to have what they deem “good” foods and “bad” foods.  I don’t think it is fair to write off vegetables or food groups needlessly. 

I think what’s important is to make meals with foods in a way that is beneficial to your health and well-being.

If you guys have been following me along since the beginning of this blog, then you may know I believe in cycle-syncing.  This is lifestyle created by Alisa Vitti, the author of WomanCode, which involves eating and exercising based on where you are in your menstrual cycle.  You can read about how I got started with it and how it helped me here.

Let’s circle back to what I was talking about initially: good and bad foods.  So, during my luteal phase, I lean towards roasted, hearty dishes.  Earlier this year I began craving white potatoes during this phase.  While I do like potatoes (who doesn’t?), they were a feared food.  I’ve always heard they are nothing but carbs and mess with your blood sugar.

Personally, I did feel the effects of white potatoes on my blood sugar.  Though, the little root vegetable is a host of some valuable nutrients so I wanted to find a way to alleviate that problem.  The blood sugar spike can be mostly avoided by pairing potatoes with other substantial ingredients or reducing their starch.

veggie sausage and country potatoes    

Yes, you read that right.  It is possible to reduce the starch in potatoes! 

Here is how:

It’s no secret potatoes are super starchy.  Though, there is a way to cut down that starch and get crispier potatoes!  If you can plan ahead, peel and chop your potatoes and cover them in water.  Let them soak in a water bath in your fridge for at least 24 hours.  If you soak them longer, you can change out the water, too. 

Then, when you’re ready to cook, drain the water and rinse the potatoes.  Pat them dry and cook up in a skillet or in the oven.  The interiors will still get soft and fluffy but the outside develops a crispy coat.  I’ve tried this method for cooking potatoes different ways and I notice a difference in how I feel after eating them.  My blood sugar isn’t spiked and I satisfy my craving for potatoes. WIN-WIN!

Give this method a try by cooking some homemade oven fries or the following skillet country potatoes with veggie sausage. 😉

veggie sausage and country potatoes

Spicy Veggie Sausage and County Potatoes
Recipe Type: Brunch
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 servings
Tender skillet potatoes are a hearty companion to veggie sausage and kale in this savory skillet dish.
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 ½ cups, russet potatoes, chopped into cubes
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 2 Hilary’s Spicy Veggie Breakfast Sausages
  • 1 ½ cups frozen or fresh kale, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • Optional: Spicy Mayo, for serving (see notes)
Instructions
  1. In a cast-iron skillet, on medium heat, sauté the onion and green bell pepper with a pinch of salt until soft—about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the chopped potatoes, garlic powder, and another couple of shakes of salt. Don’t skip this or the potatoes won’t be nearly as tasty!
  3. Cook until the potatoes start to brown and then stir them around. When it looks like the potatoes are slightly browned on the outside, place the veggie sausages into the skillet. Then, cover the pan with a lid so the potatoes can cook through. I like to let mine get nice and soft on the inside but cook time will vary depending on how small you chopped the potatoes. Cook time is anywhere from 20-40 minutes.
  4. While the potatoes cook, you can make the optional spicy mayo.
  5. The potatoes are ready when you can pierce a potato cube with a fork. Taste it to see if it is tender enough for your liking and, if so, stir in the frozen or fresh kale. This only takes about a minute so the kale can wilt and soften. Sprinkle some fresh cracked blacked pepper over it all and enjoy!
Notes
Spicy Mayo two ways:[br][br]Chipotle Mayo[br]2 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped[br]4 tbsp vegan mayo or mayo of choice[br][br]Kimchi Mayo[br]4 tbsp spicy kimchi with brine[br]3 tbsp vegan mayo or mayo of choice[br][br]The spicy mayos will not be smooth but the flavors will still be excellent. This is how I enjoy them but you may also blend these us to make them smooth.

The veggie sausage and country potatoes serves 2 modest portions as a meal or side.  I like to eat this skillet dish as a meal with the spicy mayo drizzled on top.  You can eat it with a spinach and tomato salad (yum!) or eggs, if you eat eggs.

For more savory brunch inspiration check out my Fresh Shakshuka and Egg, Zucchini, and Pesto Tacos.

Thanks for reading and thank you to Hilary’s for allowing me to test out some of their plant-based patties.  You can find these in a store near you using the store locator on the Hilary’s Eat Well website!

xoxo,

Melanie

 

Single French Toast Bake in the Microwave (Egg-Free!)

Single French Toast Bake in the Microwave (Egg-Free!)

by | Sep 4, 2018 | Health, Home, Recipes

Would you guys believe that I’ve been saving this French toast recipe for weeks just so that it would be closer to fall?  I don’t know if anyone would’ve been on board for warm French toast when its 90-125 degrees outside. 

Weirdly enough, this summer I’ve been eating a lot more warm foods for breakfast than ever before.  If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I’m a hardcore smoothie enthusiast.  Yet, as I’ve dabbled in ways to improve my digestion, I found a new love for warm breakfasts. 

This recipe came about one morning when I was low-key craving cinnamon raisin buns—using this recipe from RachLMansfield—but did not have any of those around.  Her recipe is super simple but when you want breakfast now, not hours from now, you get creative.

Here was my thought process:

Ooh cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread in my freezer?  This might taste similar to cinnamon buns.

Let’s use some vanilla unsweetened almond milk, too.  Oh, maybe French toast?

Hmm but then I need to turn on the stove and that takes too long.  GROAAANN.

 Wait, how about the ol’ microwave?  Yeah, this could work!

Honestly, the microwave is never my first choice for cooking but I knew it would provide the dried-out top the way the oven does for baked goods.  I had a very specific texture I desired:  crisp top and chewy center.  I am happy to say I achieved this!

As a final note: I whipped this all up in the morning but, if you’re a planner, this would probably be excellent made-ahead.  You could set it in your fridge overnight and then microwave it in the morning.

 french toast in a microwave

Single French Toast Bake in a Microwave
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • ½ cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ scoop vanilla protein powder
  • ½ scoop collagen peptides (optional, but adds a “chewy” texture)
  • A tiny pinch of sea salt
  • 2 slices cinnamon raisin Ezekiel
Instructions
  1. Cut the bread slices into cubes. I did three slices horizontally and vertically for 9 cubes per toast!
  2. In a microwave safe bowl or wide ramekin, mix the milk, cinnamon, protein powder, and collagen until combined.
  3. Then, dredge the bread cubes into the mixture. Lightly press them down while trying to coat all sides of the cubes. After all of the bread cubes have been dredged, press the cubes into a flat, even layer and place in the microwave.
  4. Cook for 3-4 minutes, depending on your microwave. The top should look and feel dry to the touch.
  5. Be careful when removing because the bowl will be HOT! Let cool for a few minutes before adding syrup, yogurt, or additional raisins to your French toast (microwave) bake!

It makes me excited when I can discover a shortcut to something that usually takes a lot longer to make.  I’m planning on just prepping containers of this in my fridge and warming them up for the weekday mornings.  😎

Let me know if you give this recipe a try!  Comment below or tag me on Instagram!

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!

Pumpkin Coconut Treat Bars

Pumpkin Coconut Treat Bars

by | Oct 18, 2017 | Health, Home, Recipes

Pumpkin Spice and everything nice is what makes fall feel like FALL for me.  Please, hold the eye roll.  Evidently, the internet is all hyped about fall these days but let me tell you: I’ve been a fan of fall before it was trendy.  Yes, I went there. Fall holds meaning for me even without the glamorized PSL which may actually have a new flavor competitor around—see here.  Basically, winter and spring are almost nonexistent in southern California.  And summer?  No thank you, 120 degree weather. 

My dear fall, you are what I look forward to each year.  All I need are some breezy cool days where I can wear my cardigan and scarf and sip on my eat my pumpkin coconut treats.  HOORAY!

Throwback moment: my favorite childhood snack was the packaged rice krispy treats.  Not even the homemade kind!  The rice krispy treats in the blue packaging were perfect because of their balance of sweetness and textures—crunchy yet soft!  As you know, I like healthifying sweet treats.  So, I put a spin on my fave classic WITHOUT marshmallows for some pumpkin coconut NOT SCARY treat fun.  I know, it almost sounds sacrilegious.  Still, I think you’ll find that these are sweet and satisfying on their own and healthier than the sugar-laden original. 

Also, this recipe is a good use for date puree, or, date caramel as Minimalist Baker calls it.  Honestly, date caramel is what sweet dreams are made of and I highly recommend making some.  Although, if you want to substitute whole dates, you can try 2 (take out the pits!) and blend them up with the pumpkin and coconut oil until smooth. 

I know fall is all about baking but make room in your freezer for this no-bake treat!  You can thank me later.pumpkin coconut treat bars

Pumpkin Coconut Treat Bars
Recipe Type: Snacks
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 bars
These Pumpkin Coconut Not Scary Treat Bars are made with ingredients you can recognize. They’re wholesome, satisfying, and no marshmallows are required!
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp almond butter
  • 3 tbsp date caramel
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp allspice
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 cups Erewhon cinnamon brown rice cereal or other brown rice cereal
  • 2 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut, plus more for topping
Instructions
  1. First up, grease a loaf pan with coconut oil or line with wax paper so that the bars will be easy to remove.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, coconut oil, almond butter, date caramel, and spices. Stir in the brown rice cereal and shredded coconut. Adjust to taste by adding a pinch of salt or a sprinkle of granulated sugar, if needed.
  3. Press the mixture into the loaf pan, making sure to fill the corners. Then, place in the freezer for 2 hours to solidify.
  4. Remove from freezer and cut into 8 squares. The bars taste best when stored in the freezer. Just leave them out to thaw for a minute before you are ready to eat one!
Notes
I used sweetened shredded coconut because I ran out of the unsweetened kind. You could definitely use unsweetened shredded coconut and perhaps add a teaspoon of granulated sweetener like coconut or brown sugar to make the bars sweeter. I just don’t recommend coconut flakes because those will be too thick and chunky for the bars.[br]Additionally, “cook time” reflects time in the freezer. This is a no-bake recipe.