Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together olive oil, tamari, and sesame seeds and toss with tofu. Place tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until tofu is golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, bring 8 cups of lightly salted water to a boil and add noodles. Gently simmer for 4-6 minutes, then drain and rinse.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until emulsified. Add noodles, tofu, scallions, and cilantro. Toss to combine and adjust seasoning to taste.
Notes
Buckwheat is gluten free; some soba noodles are made with wheat flour and buckwheat flour. To make sure this recipe is gluten free, go for 100% buckwheat. If customers don’t need to avoid gluten, then regular soba noodles will work just the same.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place sausages, potatoes, brussels sprouts on a sheet pan and drizzle on 3 tablespoons olive oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sausages are cooked to 165°F, turning over halfway through cooking.
Meanwhile, whisk together remaining ingredients, except almonds, until emulsified.
Remove sausages and vegetables from the oven and transfer to a serving dish if desired.
Drizzle on sauce and sprinkle with almonds. Enjoy!
Notes
*Potatoes should not be more than twice the size of the brussels sprouts for even cooking.
Ring in the New Year with healthier swaps for convenient, healthy main courses that are big on flavor and nutrition. You may just find a few new recipes that will end up in your weeknight rotation this year and beyond.
Cauliflower stands in for milk in this nostalgic comfort food recipe that’s ready in as little as 20 minutes. The easiest method for this is using a multi-cooker, but stovetop instructions are included if you don’t have one.
Servings 4
Ingredients
Toppings
1tbspunsalted butter or olive oil
¾cupwhole grain or gluten-free panko bread crumbs
¼tspdried thyme
1cupfrozen peaswarmed
¼tspground black pepper
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
3cupswater
2 ½cupspasta (like macaroni)
¾lbfrozen cauliflower florets
1tbspunsalted butter or vegan butter
1tspdried onion flakes
¼tspgrated nutmeg
2cupsgrated old cheddar cheese or meltable vegan cheddar cheese
Saltas needed
Instructions
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
For bread crumbs, in your multi-cooker, press saute on the normal setting. Add butter or olive oil, waiting until butter is melted or olive oil is shimmering before adding bread crumbs and thyme. Stir until bread crumbs have toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl until ready to serve. Wipe out or wash pot to remove any crumbs.
For mac and cheese, in your multi-cooker, add water, pasta, cauliflower, butter, onion flakes, and nutmeg. Close lid and ensure it is sealed (not venting). Select pressure cooker function on high and cook for 9 minutes. Quick release using the venting lever (best to do this under a running kitchen exhaust fan). Once pressure has released, open lid and vigorously stir and mash with wooden spoon to break up cauliflower, creating a creamy sauce. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted, close lid, and rest for 5 minutes. Stir again before serving topped with bread crumbs, warmed peas, and black pepper.
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Make the bread crumbs using the same directions but in a large pot over medium heat, then wipe out or wash pot. Add water, pasta, cauliflower, butter, onion flakes, nutmeg, and salt to large pot. Bring everything to a boil, reduce to medium, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until noodles are cooked. Add additional water if it looks dry before noodles are tender. Mash cauliflower to form sauce, and stir in cheese until melted. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Cover and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Stir pasta and serve topped with bread crumbs, peas, and black pepper.
Brown rice and two varieties of lentils cook in one pot with broth, coconut milk, and simple spices. It’s true sunshine in a bowl for those cold winter nights.
Servings 6
Ingredients
2tbspcoconut oil or vegan butter
1onionfinely chopped
1tbspgrated fresh ginger
1tspground turmeric
1tspground cumin
1tspground coriander
½tspsalt
1cupbrown basmati rice
½cupred lentils
½cupsplit yellow lentils or split yellow peas
214 oz cans light coconut milk
3 ½cupswater
1tbsplemon juicemore to serve
4cupspacked baby spinach
½cupfrozen peas
½cupcoconut yogurt or plain yogurt
1tbspcrunchy chili condiment
6wraps of your choice
Instructions
In large pot, heat oil or vegan butter over medium. Add onion and ginger and saute for 5 minutes, lowering heat, if necessary, until onions are softened. Stir in turmeric, cumin, coriander, and salt, and toast until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in rice, red lentils, yellow lentils, coconut milk, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook partially covered, stirring often, until lentils and rice are broken down, about 45 minutes. Add more water, if needed, to thin until desired consistency. (The porridge thickens dramatically as it cools; enjoy it thick or more souplike.) Stir in spinach and peas, cooking until wilted and warmed through. To serve, spoon porridge into bowls and top with yogurt and chili, with wraps on the side for dunking.
Supersalad with Sprouted Quinoa, Beans, and Roasted Veggies
A satisfying plant-based dinner or packed lunch, quinoa and beans add filling protein, while greens, cucumbers, roasted veggies, and a probiotic-rich dressing bring texture and flavor.
Servings 1
Ingredients
1large or 2 small sweet potatoespeeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1tbspolive oil
2tspchili powder or cumin
½tspsalt
1cupuncooked sprouted quinoa or sprouted grain mixture
2cupswater
119 oz can black beans, chickpeas, or white beansdrained and rinsed
4cupssalad greens such as arugula
1English cucumber or 5 baby cucumberspeeled if desired, diced or sliced
Dressing
½cupolive oil
2tbspraw apple cider vinegar
1tbspmaple syrup
1tspDijon mustard
1tsplow-sodium, gluten free tamari
¼tspdried garlic powder
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Add sweet potato to large rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil, chili powder or cumin, and salt. Spread in an even layer and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown. Add to large mixing bowl.
For dressing, whisk all dressing ingredients until fully combined.
To cook sprouted quinoa, bring quinoa and water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 5 minutes. If using sprouted grain mixture, cook according to package directions. Fluff with fork and transfer to same bowl as sweet potatoes. Mix in beans or chickpeas and half of dressing.
If serving immediately, add greens and cucumbers, tossing to combine, adding remaining dressing or to taste. If making ahead for lunch, keep quinoa mixture separate from greens and cucumber, and combine right before serving.
More of us than ever are coming to understand the links between the food we eat and its impact on the planet. Eating a diet rich in legumes and organic vegetables, with a reduced emphasis on meat, is recognized as being better for us and the planet. Read on to discover delicious recipes that will help you include more sustainable ingredients in your meal plans.
Leek and Mushroom Tartines with Wilted Watercress
Watercress is relatively disease and pest resistant, so it doesn’t require pesticides. It’s easy to grow, and it’s packed with nutrition.
10Mushrooms, mixture of white and browncleaned and diced, about 2 cups
2sprigsthyme
¼teaspoonsaltdivided
1tablespoonlemon juice
1Leektrimmed, quartered, and diced, about 1½ cups
1teaspoonHoney
1cupwatercress
2sliceswhole grain or sourdough bread
Black pepper, to taste
Method
In large skillet on high, heat 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil. When oil is hot, add mushrooms and thyme sprigs and cook for about 5 minutes, shaking pan from time to time to toss, but otherwise keeping movement to a minimum. Once mushrooms are browned, add a pinch of salt and lemon juice, stir through, and tip out onto plate to rest.
Reduce heat to medium and, in the same pan, add remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil, leeks, and remaining salt. Cook leeks, being careful not to brown, for about 5 minutes, or until just soft. Tip mushrooms and thyme sprigs back into the pan, add honey, and combine with leeks. Remove pan from heat.
Toast 2 pieces of bread. When ready, add watercress to still-warm leek and mushroom mixture and mix through, just wilting watercress. Spoon onto toasted and plated bread and season with black pepper.
Enjoy!
Herby Lentil Salad with Spinach and Peas
Symbiotic bacteria called Rhizobium invade the roots of lentils and legumes such as peas and beans, allowing them to “fix,” or use, nitrogen. This also improves the quality of the soil they grow in.
Pick over lentils, removing pebbles or debris, and rinse. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add lentils and bay leaf. Reduce to medium-low and cook lentils at a slow simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
In separate pot, blanch green peas for 2 to 3 minutes; drain and rinse with cool water.
In small bowl, combine herbs, vinegar, olive oil, and salt.
In large bowl, place cooked and cooled lentils. Pour dressing overtop lentils; add green onions, peas, and baby spinach; and toss together. Tip out onto large shallow platter to serve.
Enjoy!
Poached Rhubarb with Cinnamon, Mint, and Ginger
Selecting seasonal fruit reduces the need for heating, refrigeration, artificial lighting, pesticides, and increased transport. While rhubarb’s season may be short, the plant is a perennial that can produce for years.
1piecegingerroot, about thumb-sizecut into 3 or 4 chunks
1stickcinnamon
1large sprigmint
½cuporange juice
½cupwater
1tablespoonhoney
Method
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
In shallow 10 x 10 x 3 in (26 x 26 x 8 cm) baking pan, arrange rhubarb in one layer. Cut ginger in 3 or 4 chunks and add to pan along with cinnamon stick and mint sprig.
In small bowl or jug, mix together orange juice, water, and honey. Pour over rhubarb mixture.
Place baking tray in preheated oven and poach for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Rhubarb is done when it is fork tender but still retains its shape. Serve over porridge or granola, or use as a dessert topping or cake filling.
Thanks to Christine Waltermyer & The Natural Kitchen Cooking School!
Christine Waltermyer is a local and renowned Wellness Chef, private chef to celebrities, published cookbook author and founder of the Natural Kitchen Cooking School, which offers an online Plant-Based Cooking Program. She also loves shopping at Basil Bandwagon! Visit naturalkitchenschool.com to subscribe to her email newsletter for new recipes, tips, and FREE access to the Power of Veggies mini-course!
This classic French salad combines tuna, baby potatoes, crisp green beans, boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, and a delicious lemon vinaigrette dressing to make a hearty salad that can be served as a meal.
Thank you to Christine Waltermyer and the Natural Kitchen Cooking School for working with us to help promote healthy, nutritious meals and products that are affordable, full of nutrients, and simple to make at home!
This wow-worthy, plant-based holiday meal won’t disappoint—whether you nix the meat entirely or incorporate some of these recipes into your celebratory meal. This gluten-free, vegan menu has “festive” written all over it.
Stuffing with Thyme, Rosemary, and Dried Cranberries
In this plant-based stuffing, fresh herbs and dried fruit replace the depth of flavor usually infused by chicken juices, so use fresh thyme and rosemary if possible to maximize the flavor return.
1loaf gluten-free breadcubed, about 6 to 8 cups cubes
1cupchopped green onions
3tablespoonschopped dried cranberries
2cupslow-sodium vegetable broth
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F.
De-stem thyme and rosemary sprigs and coarsely chop. In large bowl, combine herbs with bread cubes, green onions, and dried cranberries. Add 1 ½ cups broth and toss to coat. Bread should be moistened and slightly softened. Add remaining broth if needed (some gluten-free breads are denser than others).
Taste and add salt if desired. Grease or line 8 x 11 in baking or casserole dish with parchment paper. Transfer stuffing to dish and bake for 50 to 55 minutes.
Enjoy!
Green Beans with Dukkah
Subbing Middle Eastern dukkah for classic toasted almonds with your green beans is like taking your first international trip (or the first in a long time …) and (re)discovering that there’s a world of flavor out there.
Preheat oven to 325°F. In nongreased baking dish, roast hazelnuts for 20 minutes.
Heat medium skillet over medium-high. When hot, toast fennel seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, and coriander seeds for 45 seconds, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Seeds should start to pop. Transfer to spice grinder, mortar and pestle, or directly to food processor or blender. In same skillet, toast sesame seeds, stirring every 10 seconds or so, until aromatic and, if using white sesame seeds, golden. Transfer immediately to medium bowl.
Grind, or pulse all seeds except sesame seeds several times in blender or food processor, until lightly crushed and aromatic. Transfer to medium bowl with sesame seeds. Rub hazelnuts between kitchen towels to remove some of skins if needed, then coarsely chop in food processor (not in blender), or by hand. Add to bowl with crushed seeds. Stir in salt and optional cayenne.
Steam green beans for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender-crisp. Serve topped with dukkah and a drizzle of hazelnut oil, if desired.
Enjoy!
Oyster Mushrooms with Garlic and Thyme on Caramelized Parsnip Puree
This dish is a plant-based showstopper, with tender mushrooms in a sweet-and-sour glaze soaking into ultra-thick roasted parsnip puree.
2poundsparsnipspeeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces
2garlicclovespeeled
1tablespoonolive oil
¼teaspooncane sugar
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonpepper
Mushrooms
¾cupbalsamic vinegaror 6 tablespoons aged balsamic or balsamic glaze
1teaspoonolive oil
14ouncesoyster mushroomscleaned and, if necessary, trimmed so they grill flat
¼teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonpepper
¼cupfinely chopped green onion
2thymesprigsstripped from stem, or ½ teaspoon dried
2tablespoonstoasted pistachiosroughly chopped
½cupfinely chopped chives, parsley, or green onionto garnish
Method
For parsnip puree, preheat oven to 400°F.
In medium saucepan, bring water, baking soda, and parsnips to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Drain parsnips, but don’t rinse. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 3 minutes.
In large bowl, combine parsnips with remaining ingredients for puree. Spread on baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Turn and roast for 10 minutes more, or until tender and caramelized. Transfer to large bowl and mash with potato masher or immersion blender, or transfer to food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
For oyster mushrooms, in medium saucepan, boil balsamic vinegar until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. If using aged balsamic vinegar or glaze, skip this step.
In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. When hot, add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Flip mushrooms and add balsamic reduction, green onions, and thyme and stir to coat mushrooms. Lower heat to medium-low; cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender, adding 1 Tbsp water to prevent sticking, if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To serve, spread parsnip puree on bottom of large platter. Place mushrooms on top. Top with toasted pistachios and garnish with chopped chives, parsley, or green onion.
This comforting creamy mushroom pappardelle recipe is filling and flavorful yet not too heavy or too rich. Our Egg Pappardelle noodles are wide and strong enough to carry lots of sauce with each bite, making it a hearty meal for wintertime but also just light enough to enjoy in the spring!
In a large skillet, sauté butter, shallot, and garlic on medium-low heat for 2 minutes.
Chop the mushrooms in a food processor, then add them to the skillet with parsley and thyme, and salt to taste. Cook on low heat uncovered for 7 minutes.
Whisk cream and corn starch together, add to the sauce. Cook for 2 more minutes; add cheese and cook for 1 minute.
Cook bionaturae pappardelle according to instructions, then toss in the skillet and cook on medium-low for 30 seconds.
This classic lasagna is a hearty vegetarian meal for chilly days. Don’t be intimidated by the 90-minute recipe. Most of that time is hands off—the cheese is getting nice and bubbly in the oven. The hardest part is waiting for the #GlutenFree deliciousness.
Gluten-Free Classic Lasagna
This classic lasagna is a hearty vegetarian meal for chilly days. Don’t be intimidated by the 90-minute recipe. Most of that time is hands off—the cheese is getting nice and bubbly in the oven. The hardest part is waiting for the #GlutenFree deliciousness.
Looking for a warm bowl of cozy? Look no further than this potato & corn soup. It’s luscious and creamy, without any cream! This savory soup is a no brainer for cold nights.
Potato & Corn Soup
Looking for a warm bowl of cozy? Look no further than this potato & corn soup. It’s luscious and creamy, without any cream! This savory soup is a no brainer for cold nights.
Gnocchi is a great entry point for homemade pasta! This recipe for homemade squash gnocchi don’t require a pasta maker, a food processor, or any fancy unitaskers. If you’ve played with modeling clay as a child, you can make gnocchi. Rolling out the dough into long strands may give you flashbacks to your younger years. Just make sure you only add flour if the dough is sticking. Add too much and you’ll lose the light fluffy texture of truly great gnocchi. The addition of squash puree ups the seasonal wow factor and nutrition. You can use canned pumpkin, roasted butternut, or any combination of winter squash you have on hand.
Homemade Squash Gnocchi
Gnocchi is a great entry point for homemade pasta! If you played with modeling clay as a child, you can make Homemade Squash Gnocchi. The addition of squash puree ups the seasonal wow factor and nutrition.
Whisk together ricotta, squash puree, egg, salt, and nutmeg.
Add flour and stir until mixture forms a soft ball; rest for 10 minutes covered.
Meanwhile, heat a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add sage leaves and swirl pan around to crisp sage and allowing butter to brown evenly. Turn off heat and set aside.
Cut dough into six even portions and roll into a ½-inch log shape, using flour as necessary to keep from sticking. Cut logs into 1-inch pieces and set aside on a floured surface.
Drop gnocchi into boiling water in batches and cook until they float, about 3 minutes. Carefully strain cooked gnocchi.
Put the brown butter and sage pan back over medium-low heat and add cooked gnocchi. Heat through and serve promptly.