Avocado “Buttered” Chili Lime Corn on the Cob

A seriously simple and delicious summer staple! Sweet corn on the cob!

This time it’s coated with a pat of creamy avocado, and spiced up with some chile powder, salt, pepper and fresh lime juice!

Put that all together and you’ve got yourself a glorious corn on the cob with a little sweet heat!

Avocado “Buttered” Chili Lime Corn on the Cob

Serves 1

Bring a medium sized sauce pan filled with enough COLD water to cover the corn to a boil.

Once boiling place corn in water. Allow water to return to a boil, then turn off heat and let corn cook for about 5-7 minutes or until tender.

After corn is done cooking, allow enough time to cool to be able to handle.

Roll the corn in fresh, creamy avocado, just as you would in a stick of butter.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper along with a generous pinch of chili powder over the corn.

Finish by squeezing fresh lime juice over top! Enjoy!

 

Cheezy Chili Lime Temp Tacs

Vegan tacos made with tempeh as the protein source instead of meat (referred to fondly as Temp Tacs by my brother and I), made a regular appearance on our diner menu the two years I lived out East while going to grad school. Since moving back to Wisconsin I haven’t made this dish too often, but I had a craving for a delicious taco the other day and knew Temp Tacs would do the trick!

I wanted to spice things up a bit this time, and deviated from the original recipe a smidge. This version turned out to be just as scrumptious!

The chili lime combination paired with fresh cilantro is heavenly. And the dish has a wonderful, subtle cheesy flavor thanks to the nutritional yeast! For a simple, delicious and nutritious meal, you’ve got to try these Cheezy Chili Lime Temp Tacs!

Cheezy Chili Lime Temp Tacs

Makes 4-6 hearty tacos

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 package of tempeh, diced/crumbled  (I used a pre-cooked version so all I needed to do was warm it through-I love the Trader Joe’s brand!)

1 cup corn (I used frozen)

1 cup bell pepper, chopped

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups of chopped kale

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp of 21 Seasoning Salute (or any other savory spice blend will do)

1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Juice from half of one small lime

To make the tacs start by heating the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Once the skillet is ready, add in the garlic and onions, stirring occasionally and sautéing about 5 minutes.

Add in the tempeh, corn, bell pepper, kidney beans and kale. Continue sautéing for another 5 minutes or so.

Once the kale has wilted and you’ve got a little more room in the skillet, stir in the rest of the seasonings and the lime juice. Cook for about another 10 minutes on low until the dish is warmed through. Serve with some sprouts, avocado and hummus for an even tastier taco! Enjoy!

 

 

Sweet and Spicy Squash, Bean, and Kale Burritos

Sweet and Spicy Squash, Bean, and Kale Burritos!

A quick, easy, and delicious dish made in one pan!

Sweet and Spicy Squash, Bean and Kale Burritos

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cups of kale, chopped

1 cup of corn

2 cups of butternut squash, chopped ( I used frozen)

1 can of kidney beans

1 tbsp curry

1 tbsp chili powder

4 tortillas

Hummus

To make this dish, simply sauté all the ingredients for 12-15 minutes or until tender.

Add mixture to a burrito, top with any extras you fancy, and enjoy!

 

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Curry and Chili

Morning!

Here’s another recipe to kickoff the week!

A wonderful Kale and Quinoa Salad with Curry and Chili.

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Curry and Chili

Serves 4-5

1/2 cup of red quinoa

2 cups of kale, chopped

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup of bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup of onion, chopped

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp of a spice blend of your choice

Pinch of garlic salt

Tahini for serving

To make this dish, start by cooking the quinoa. Add quinoa and 1 cup of water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid.

While the quinoa is cooking, chop your veggies and sauté in a drizzle of olive oil for 5-7 minutes over medium-low heat (or until veggies are tender). While veggies are cooking stir in spices.

Rinse and drain the chickpeas.

When the quinoa and veggies are done cooking, combine together in a large mixing bowl along with the chickpeas.

Serve warm and drizzle with tahini. Enjoy!

Fire Roasted Pepper and Tempeh Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Fire Roasted Pepper and Tempeh Enchiladas with Salsa Verde. This is where it’s at. My brother and I made these last Sunday, our last Sunday cooking together before the holidays, and it was a great dish to end on!

These enchiladas were bursting with flavor. The savory tempeh, pepper, and kale filling was complimented by the touch of sweetness of the butternut squash and the zing of spice from the chili powder and salsa. Delicious.

Baked until the enchiladas were perfectly golden and crispy, with ooey, gooey melted cheese, this is a dish worth savoring!

These enchiladas can also easily be multiplied, and with simple prep and not a lot of cooking time it is a great dish for the holidays!

Fire Roasted Pepper and Tempeh Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Serves 4 (makes 8 enchiladas)

1 tbsp of olive oil

2 cups of frozen, diced butternut squash

1 cup of frozen, chopped kale

1 cup of frozen, chopped fire roasted bell pepper and onion mix

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp of curry powder

1 can of black beans

1 block of tempeh, precooked

Eight 8″ flour tortillas

1 cup of salsa verde

~3/4 cup of grated sharp white cheddar

To make these enchiladas, start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

While the oven is preheating, sauté the butternut squash, kale, and bell pepper mix until warmed through, about 10 minutes on medium low heat. Stir occasionally.

Next, add in the tempeh, black beans, chili powder and curry powder, stir, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Then, turn off the stove and start filling the tortillas! Add about 1/3 a cup of the mixture to each tortilla, roll tightly, and place in an 8×8 glass baking dish. Repeat this process until the enchilada mixture is gone, packing each enchilada snuggly into the dish.

Lastly, pour the salsa verde on top of the enchiladas, sprinkle the cheese over the salsa and bake. Bake for fifteen minutes, until the cheese is melty and bubbly and the tortillas are golden and crispy. Enjoy!

Spice it up,

Sydney

Temp Tacs Redux

I think the only recipe I’ve posted for Temp Tacs (tacos made with tempeh), was the one I posted last October! My brother and I always cook up temp tacs for a quick, tasty and healthy dinner. And we normally just do a slight variation of veggies, beans and seasonings to mix it up. So today I thought I would share our favorite recipe of the moment!

These Temp Tacs Redux, courtesy of my brother, are bursting with flavor. The main seasonings are curry, crushed red pepper flakes and chili powder.

And this particular version is jazzed up with Cuban style black beans, kale, and corn. Absolutely Scrumptious!

Temp Tacs Redux

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil

1 package of tempeh, diced/crumbled

1 can of Cuban style black beans (from Trader Joe’s)

1 cup of frozen chopped kale, or fresh if you have some!

3/4 cup of frozen corn

1/2 tbsp Curry powder

Crushed red pepper flakes

Chili Powder

To make these tacos start by adding the olive oil to a large skillet and heating to medium/medium-low. While the skillet is warming, chop the tempeh.

Once the skillet is ready, add in the tempeh and cook for about 3 minutes stirring frequently.

Next add in the beans, kale, and corn, and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.

Finally, add in the spices, stir to coat, and cook for a final 3 minutes. Add as much of the red pepper flakes and chili powder as you like depending on how spicy you want your tacos!

Note: The tempeh we bought was already fully cooked, so we just needed to cook it long enough to warm through all our ingredients! Make sure to cook your tempeh as long as necessary according to package directions.

Add whatever toppings you’d like, I used pea shoots and salsa. Enjoy!

Mix it up,

Sydney

Dark Chocolate Chili Cookies with Kumquat Glaze

Morning all! I hope you have a marvelous Monday and a wonderful start to your week. I thought I’d share a recipe with you today that I whipped up this past weekend and cannot believe how crazy good it turned out! Dark Chocolate Chili Cookies with Kumquat Glaze.

Yes. Dark Chocolate Chili Cookies with Kumquat Glaze.

These were absolutely sensational! I don’t even know where to start with these chocolately, chewy, decadent cookies.

Clearly I’ve still been in a baking mood. I believe made this batch at about 9:30 pm on Saturday night. What can I say, I was craving cookies and this is what resulted from the ingredients I had on hand.

The cinnamon spiced chocolate with subtle notes of kumquat makes this flavor profile superb. Factor in the hint of chili and this cookie is taken to the next level! Chocolate, cinnamon and chili. Perfection. Add a little kumquat (a citrus fruit similar to an orange) and you’ve got yourself one phenomenal cookie.

When you can’t believe how good this light, fluffy, doughy and chewy cookie is, you’ll bite into one of the melted, ooey, gooey dark chocolate chips and think you’ve died and gone to heaven.

Best. cookies. ever.

Dark Chocolate Chili Cookies with Kumquat Glaze

Makes 12 cookies

1/2 cup unsweetend applesauce

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp kumquat marmalade

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup of all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1 and 1/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

To make these cookies start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees, and making your flax egg by combining 1 tbsp of flax seed with 3 tbsp of water and placing in the fridge for 10 minutes to gel.

While flax egg is thickening, combine the applesauce, sugar, marmalade and vanilla in a small bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon and chili powder.

When the flax egg is ready, add it to the wet mixture. Stir to combine.

Then mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Fold in dark chocolate chips, and form into 12 cookies (about a tablespoon size each).

Bake for about 11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Enjoy!

Freshly baked cookies make my day,

Sydney

Breakfast Galore

Growing up I remember breakfast being my least favorite meal of the day. I think I got bored of cereal, pop tarts, toaster strudel…and more cereal. I don’t even remember what else I would eat. But now that I know all the glorious things breakfast has to offer, I’d say it just might take the title as my favorite meal! Oatmeal, toast, smoothies, muffins, yogurt, granola, fruit (aka bananas!), and peanut butter added to everything. You can’t go wrong.

So here are some of the tasty breakfasts I’ve been having recently, including a Blueberry Mango Smoothie. And thanks for these awesome glasses Mom, I love using them for whatever I drink!

Blueberry Mango Smoothie for One

1/2 cup frozen mango

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1 small frozen banana, sliced

4 oz. silken tofu

1/2 cup of almond milk

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until thick and creamy!

I’ve also had some peanut butter raisin bran cereal. I don’t mind this type of cereal if it’s all jazzed up!

Peanut Butter Raisin Bran Cereal. Not so sure it is an actual recipe, but my bowl was filled with Trader Joe’s bran flakes, almond milk, a sliced banana, raisins and peanut butter. So good. And with a side of water of course!

This past week I kicked my normal oatmeal recipe up a notch. I made Cinnamon Spiced Hot Cocoa Oats. With the ‘spiced’ referring to chili powder. Yes, chili powder for breakfast. And boy was it delicious!

Cinnamon Spiced Hot Cocoa Oats

Serves 1

1/2 cup of old fashioned oats

1 ripe banana, sliced

1/2 cup of water

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp chili powder

Peanut butter to drizzle on top

To make these oats, I combined the oats, banana and water in a bowl and microwaved for two minutes. Then I gave the oats a good stir and added in the cocoa powder, cinnamon and chili powder. I placed it in the microwave for another minute, and then took them out steamin’ hot. Drizzled a little peanut butter on top for kicks, and there you have it. Delicious hot chocolate oats.

Find the joy in breakfast,

Sydney

Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Pizza w/ Red Thai Curry Sauce

Hello, long lost friend. I have missed you dearly.

I seriously don’t know how I’ve gone this long without making a pizza. I think the last time I baked one was back in October with my Thai Peanut Pizza. Two months is way too long to be without a homemade pizza! And I’m glad it made its glorious return back into my life with this Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Pizza w/ Red Thai Curry Sauce. You cannot go wrong with this scrumptious combination of ingredients.

Roasted butternut squash seasoned with olive oil, cinnamon, cloves and chili powder. Crispy kale. Red onions and fresh mozzarella. Pure taste.

Look at that beautiful golden crust! Go get the ingredients and make this ‘za right now!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Pizza w/ Red Thai Curry Sauce

Makes one pizza

1 1/2 cups butternut squash, chopped and roasted

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 red onion, chopped

Kale, about two large handfuls, chopped

Fresh mozzarella

2 tbsp red thai curry sauce

A pre-made or homemade pizza crust of choice

To start making the pizza, begin by roasting the butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and while waiting for it to heat, chop up the squash and season with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil, the cinnamon, cloves and chili powder. When the oven is ready, place the squash on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, or until tender. Stir the squash about halfway through so it doesn’t stick. Note: the squash could take a little longer to cook depending on the size of your chopped squash pieces.

While the squash it cooking, you can prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chop the red onion and kale, and grate the fresh mozzarella. Use as much or as little cheese as you like! When the squash is done,change the temperature on the oven to what the pizza crust requires if need be.

Start assembling the ‘za! On the crust, spread 1 tbsp of the olive oil and 2 tbsp of the red thai curry sauce almost all the way to the edge. Next put down a layer of chopped kale and onions. Then place the roasted squash on the pizza. And lastly sprinkle the mozzarella all over the top.

Place in the oven and bake for as long as the crust’s directions recommend. Enjoy!

Holiday parties are fun,

Sydney