Apple Cinnamon Roasted Veggies with Walnuts

I love roasted veggies and have experimented with many recipes and techniques. So I'm very excited to say that I may have found my favorite roasted veggie recipe! It's amazing with a sweet apple glaze and cinnamon roasted walnuts. How can veggies get any yummier than this?

Ingredients:

1 pound red potatoes, cubed
1 pound sweet potatoes, cubed
1 pound carrots, peeled and cubed
1 cup apple cider
3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar or use stevia to taste for a sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Divide potatoes and carrots in half and place on two large rimmed baking sheets. Whisk cider, honey or sweetener, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour cider mixture over vegetables dividing evenly between both pans. Toss to coat. Bake for about 45 minutes or more until vegetables are glazed and golden brown.

Meanwhile, place chopped walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat. Keep stirring nuts for several minutes until lightly brown. Remove from heat and add butter, cinnamon and a dash of salt. Stir until butter is melted. Let stand to cool.

Once vegetables are roasted, sprinkle with walnuts and eat up!

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Butternut Squash, Spinach and Blue Cheese Salad

Anything with spinach and blue cheese is a winner for me. However, there's something EXTRA special and yummy about this dish. Maybe it's addition of the sweet roasted butternut squash or how all the flavors mingle together. I'm not sure, but it's heavenly and a new favorite of mine!

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, cubed 1 inch
2 tablespoon butter or coconut oil, melted
1 small red onion, diced
8oz bag baby spinach
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place cubed butternut squash on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until golden brown, tossing occasionally. Remove from oven and place in large bowl when slightly cooled.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Turn off heat and immediately add spinach and apple cider vinegar. Keep tossing spinach mixture until slightly wilted and warm. Remove from heat. Add spinach mixture to squash when roasted. Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbs and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to mix and enjoy!

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Spinach Cheese Cakes

I used love the spinach cheese dip appetizer served at a lot of restaurants. However, it's shocking to discover what most of those dips consist of...let alone the calorie content. Therefore, I wanted to come up with a spinach dish that was similar to spinach cheese dip but healthy. I also wanted something that could be used as a stand alone or main dish. With all this in mind, came these yummy spinach cakes. They are hearty enough to be served as a vegetarian main dish and you don't need chips to eat them unlike actual spinach dip!

Worth mentioning - Spinach is number 5 on the dirty dozen list so it's worth it to buy organic!

Ingredients:

16 oz bag frozen chopped organic spinach, thawed
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1 cup organic light cottage cheese
2 eggs, free-range organic if possible
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain or squeeze excess water off spinach. Place in a food processor. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese plus all the remaining ingredients and pulse until well combine leaving texture. Set aside. Next, coat a muffin pan with cooking spray or light oil. Fill muffin cups to top with spinach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until set and slightly golden on top. Let stand 5 minutes to set. To remove, loosen edges with a knife then use a flexible spatula to scoop out. Makes 8-10 spinach cakes.

Pineapple, Carrot and Mango Salad

This is a sweet and spicy salad that's bursting with flavor. It combines sweet fruit, carrots and spicy radishes to add a kick of flavor. You can leave the radishes out, but they really add another level to this salad. Plus, because of the high vitamin content of radishes, they are helpful for colds, flu, cancer, skin disorders, asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Ingredients:

1 small pineapple, peeled and cubed
1 large mango, peeled and cubed
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 bunch radishes, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup apple cider or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 orange, juiced
Pinch of stevia or honey to taste
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Add pineapple, mango, carrots, radishes and cilantro to a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, orange juice and stevia. Pour over pineapple mix and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Purple Power Crunch

This is my 2 year old son's new favorite salad recipe, and mine too! It's super sweet and crunchy with an unexpected orange based dressing. I also just love to look at this salad with it's amazing purple color contrasted by the pretty green pumpkin seed....it's beautiful! :)

Ingredients:

1 small head purple cabbage, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup purple raisins
1/2 cup raw pumpkin sees

1 orange, juiced
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Stevia or honey to taste

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

To a large bowl, add chopped cabbage, onion, raisins and pumpkin seeds. Set aside. To a small bowl, add orange juice, vinegar and olive oil and lightly whisk together. Add stevia or honey to taste. Pour onto cabbage mixture and lightly toss. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or allow to sit for 20 minutes for flavors to incorporate.

Mango Salsa

I love making different types of salsas, but one of my all time favorites is mango salsa. It makes for more of a sweet and spicy mix which I love. Just make sure your mangoes are ripe or they will be too hard and bitter. Peaches, Pineapple and Papaya work well in this recipe if you can't find ripe Mangoes.

Ingredients:

3 large ripe tomatoes, diced
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 ripe mango, diced
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Stir well with and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Mango Blackberry Guacamole

I love adding fruit to guacamole. The sweet, tart and creamy flavors all meld together and are absolutely delicious. Here the slight tartness of mangoes pair beautifully with the creamy avocados. The addition of sweet blackberries add color and visual interest while rounding out the flavors.

Ingredients:

2 avocados, slightly soft to the touch
1 cup white onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped and seeded
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 cup blackberries, chopped (substitute blueberries any other type of berries)
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Halve avocados and scoop out flesh with a spoon. Mash in a bowl with a fork. Stir in onion, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and pepper. Add mango and blackberries and fold softly into mixture. Store in an air tight container covered with parchment paper to prevent avocados from browning.

Avocado Peach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Peaches are beautiful and ripe this time of year so I love incorporating them into salads and deserts. In this recipe, I've paired them with creamy avocados and spicy arugula making a simple well rounded salad. I used raspberry vinaigrette, but any fruity vinaigrette would work great here!

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados,
8 cups arugula or baby spinach
2 ripe peaches, pitted and diced
Juice of one lemon
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Raspberry vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Directions:

Halve and pit avocados and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Toss with arugula and peaches. Place in individual serving bowls and drizzle with dressing.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey or pinch stevia
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Add all ingredients, except olive oil, to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Slowly add olive oil until well combined and emulsified.

Raw Mushroom Soup

I really like mushroom soup in the winter as it's so warm and hearty. However, I wanted something that would also be good during the summer months. This recipe is a completely raw version of mushroom soup so it leaves all the nutrients and enzymes intact...bonus! It's so easy, I think I'll make it during the winter months too, but warmed slightly. :)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup almond butter
10 oz cups baby bella mushrooms or other mushrooms of choice
1/2 cup onions, chopped
2 teaspoons tamari, soy sauce or sea salt
1/2 cup water
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with minced mushrooms and/or chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if necessary. Pour into individual serving bowls and garnish with mushrooms or parsley. Best served at room temperature, but can be chilled as well.

Cucumber Onion Salad

Cucumbers are abundant this time of year so its fun to come up with new ways to use them. I mostly like them in salads or pickling them. Here, I paired them with onions and dill and a little vinegar to make a refreshing simple summer salad. Easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

3 medium cucumbers, seeded and chopped
2 sweet onions, chopped
1/2 cup apple cider or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of stevia or honey to taste

Directions:

Toss cucumbers and onions into a large bowl. Whisk vinegar, olive oil, dill weed, salt and stevia in a small bowl. Pour over cucumber mixture. Serve immediately or let sit for 10-15 so flavors can mingle together.

Broccoli Cranberry Salad

This broccoli salad has a lot of crunch and a little sweetness. I like it best after it has set for a few hours so the flavors can meld together. However, it's good right away and a perfect salad for any season!

Ingredients:

1 bunch broccoli, chopped into tiny bits
3/4 cup dried cranberries sweetened with fruit juice
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup homemade mayo, vegenaise or regular mayo
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Pinch of stevia, tablespoon of honey or sweetener of choice
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place broccoli, cranberries, onion and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Next, whisk together mayo, vinegar and stevia. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Raw Zucchini Spaghetti with Mushroom Marinara

This is a fun no cook all veggie spaghetti recipe. I used a Saladacco Spiral Slicer to make the spaghetti like strands out of zucchini. If you don't have one, you can use a vegetable peeler to make long strands that would be more like fettuccine pasta. Either way, it's a great way to get you and your family to eat more veggies!

Ingredients:

4-5 large tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes pack in olive oil
Pinch of stevia or 2 dates
8 oz baby bella or white button mushrooms
3 medium zucchinis, spiralized on thin setting

Directions:

Blend tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, basil, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes and stevia in a blender until smooth. Add mushrooms and pulse several times until finely chopped but leaving some texture. Spiralize zucchini using a Saladacco Spiral Slicer on thin setting or peel into long strands with a vegetable peeler. Pour the sauce over spiralized zucchini.

Ratatouille

1/3 cup coconut oil
8 cloves garlic, smashed
1 onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 pound cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, oregano, tarragon, thyme, parsley, fennel seeds and ground coriander and cook, stirring, until soft. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.