Last week, we talked about the benefits of flaxseed and a few of their purposes. I thought it would be a great use of this week's Meat Free Mondays to go over a few fantastic flaxseed recipes, especially for desserts. Although desserts are not the most healthy thing on the food chart, having a few ways of making them a bit healthier never hurts.
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Goodness, cookie cakes are so good, and cookie bars are super fantastic. One of the aspects I love most about this cookie cake is that the only dairy component is the chocolate chips; everything else is vegan! The recipe does call for some ingredients not commonly found in one's pantry- like sorghum and brown rice flours, but most can be purchased at your local health food store. The cake is made in a 9x13 cake pan, so should be more than enough for 10-15 people.
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Peanut butter is not a dessert on it's own, but is used in so many desserts that it seemed just as fantastic a recipe as any other dessert. This peanut butter recipe is the simplest recipe I think I have had on the blog yet. As long as you have a food processor or good blender, some peanuts, flaxseed, and salt, you can have peanut butter- and in about three minutes too! I am so happy that I found this recipe while searching for healthier peanut butter options. Peanut butter is not too health (and by "not too" I mean not at all), so having a recipe that changes it up a bit is heavenly. Enjoy!
While you are checking out this peanut butter recipe, I highly recommend looking at some of the other goods at Made to Create. This girl knows her healthy food and has some fantastic recipes to go along with a healthy and active lifestyle.
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Although I am not usually a fan of bundt cakes, I will make an exception for this one any day of the week. This bundt cake is a rendition of an Eating Well cake that was created by Barr Hogen. The cake serves about fifteen people and takes about two hours from start to finish. The recipe calls for some pretty interesting ingredients like prune puree, rice bran oil, and hazelnuts. The hazelnuts are what caught my attention off the bat. Hazelnuts are another hidden gem in the healthy foods community and, if you have ever cooked with hazelnuts before, you know how incredible they taste in almost any baked good. This cake is sure to be a success at any party, and with 1/3 a cup of flaxseed, you do not have to feel guilty eating it!
Here is one more recipe that did not make the dessert cut, but I just could not leave out. It is maple almond butter, can you blame me?
Spaghetti squash is a great option for Meat Free Mondays since it is as yummy as a delicious pasta, but without all those empty carbs. This recipe adds some fun with some extra yummy veggies. The recipe is oh-so simple and a great pasta-like option for those with diabetes.
Servings: 5 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1-2 Medium spaghetti squash, 3 pounds total
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, separated
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
- 2 ounces frozen peas
- 2 cups tomatoes, chopped and seeded
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Recipe
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Coat the outer skin with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons), then add salt and pepper to the inside of the squash. Place the squash face up on aluminum lined baking sheet and roast for 50 minutes, or until tender.
Heat a skillet with olive oil and saute broccoli and carrot slices over medium heat for five minutes. Add the peas, tomatoes, and garlic and heat until tomatoes are tender, or about 3 minutes. I used heirloom tomatoes because they were in season. So yummy! Once tender, mix in the basil and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove squash from oven and let cool. Once the squash has cooled to the touch, use a fork to scoop the filling out in long strands. Mix the squash strands and vegetable mixture together in a bowl. Top the mixture with Parmesan cheese and serve.
This soup is perfect for those cool nice when a little bit of comfort and spice is all you need. The Soup is also a great base for Curry, and can be made vegan! The recipe is pretty simple, and, once the potato is done, it is pretty quick too!
Servings: 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
- 1/4 diced onion
- 1 chopped and seeded jalapeno
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 3 cups caned coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cans)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped for garnish
- 2 cups croutons or toasted wheat bread (about 8 slices)
Recipe
First, Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prick fork holes over both sweet
potatoes. Cook for one hour. Let cool, then remove potato skin and
mash.
Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until onion is tender (about one minute). Once onion is tender, add in the jalapeno and garlic and saute for one minute. Add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, and curry paste. Stir soup until it is even throughout. Once the soup is the same consistency throughout, add in the sweet potato and stir again.
If you have a hand blender, blend the soup in the pot. If not, place soup in blender (we used our VitaMix)and blend until liquified, then, pour back into pot.
Once in the pot, stir in the remaining peanut oil, cilantro, and peanut butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Let soup warm, then spoon into bowl and garnish with chopped peanuts, croutons, and chopped cilantro.
This polenta recipe is the perfect way to welcome in spring! The recipe is light and refreshing, and has no animal by products. I love the tarragon and lemon zest, such a perfect meal for a Sunday brunch or Meat Free Monday! The colors also make this meal as nice to look at as it is to eat. The best part? Prep is simple and clean up is a breeze!
Servings: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes
Recipe via thekitchn.com
Ingredients
Polenta:
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup polenta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
Ragout:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 bunch green onions cut into 2 in diagonal pieces
- 8 baby carrots with trimmed ends and cut in half, lengthwise
- 6 radishes trimmed and quartered
- 1/2 cup light vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 2- to 3-inch pieces
- 8 ounces shelled peas (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tablespoon each coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, chives, and tarragon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Additional olive oil and herbs for garnish (optional)
Recipe
Polenta:
Bring vegetable broth to a boil in medium pot. Once boiling, reduce heat and slowly whisk in polenta and salt. Once polenta thickens, cover and continue cooking, making sure to stir every ten minutes. Let cook for 40 minutes, then add olive oil and serve. Eat within 15 minutes
Ragout:
While polenta is cooking, heat olive oil and minced garlic in skillet for one minute, or until it becomes fragrant. Add in the vegetable broth, radishes, carrots, green onions, and salt. Cover the pan and cook for five minutes over medium heat. Then, add in the asparagus and peas. Cover and cook for another five minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and herbs. The taragon and lemon zest add a refreshing taste! Spoon 1/4 over polenta and serve.
