Brussels Sprouts Leaves

I saw this recipe in vegetarian times for sauteing brussels sprout leaves and for the longest time I could not figure out what they meant. I thought they were talking about the big leaves on the plant and you sauteed them like kale or chard but the ingredients didn't include any big leaves, then I realized they separated all the little leaves of the brussels sprout itself and I thought 'how cool'. If you follow this blog you know how I love brussels sprouts but they do get boring since there isn't too many ways to cook them. So I took this idea and made it into my own oven creation...yes we still do not have a stove. Very simple and delicious, my mom was delicious she had something else last night ;)
Recipe
8oz Brussels Sprouts
1/2 C to 1 C low-sodium vegetable broth
1 T cumin
1/2 lemon, juiced
pepper
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Separate all the outside leaves of the brussels sprout and throw them in a large bowl with the broth, cumin, and lemon juice. You probably won't want to use the whole brussels sprout as they get harder and smaller towards the center. Toss around well in the bowl to coat all the leaves then pile into a 9x16in glassware pan. Bake for 20 minutes, toss in between and check in the last 5 minute, they'll get a little wilty and brown that's when there perfect! Serve over quinoa.
Fun, different and delicious!
Enjoy,
Dani

Mayonnaise

Gotcha! It's not real mayonnaise! It's Vegenaise with some additions, chipotle flavored and pesto flavored. This was one of my little tricks to get my brother to eat some healthier foods and it worked! Only he knows now because Sarah ratted me out!

Very easy to make and if you like sandwiches then you'll want to try both of these!

Chipotle Mayonaise
2 chipotle chillies, in adobo sauce
1 T adobo sauce
1 T cilantro
1/2 lime juiced
Using a coffee grinder to blend these ingredients pulse until they are completely pureed. Spoon in with 1 C Vegenaise gently not to make it too runny. Refrigerate and spread on any sandwich!

Pesto Mayonaise
1/2 C pesto, preferably home-made and obviously vegan
1 C Vegaenaise
Mix gently and refrigerate.

Enjoy,
Dani

Sweet Potato Oven Packets

Another oven baked dinner. The lack of stove is drawing on and on because my dad is out of town and we need him to put the new one in. It certainly makes cooking a little more creative then before. I found this recipe for oven packets and I thought perfect! They really were great too, a little spicy which was a surprise since nothing in them had too much heat, we figured it must have been the ginger. So I would add one tablespoon if you don't like spicy food.
Recipe
1 1/2 C cooked lentils
1 medium sweet potato, chopped
1 C green beans, thinly sliced
3/4 C chopped red bell pepper
1 C low-sodium vegetable broth
2 T minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t curry powder
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 4 large squares of foil. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well making sure the spices have coated all the vegetables. Scoop out onto the foil in four even parts, it's easiest to just eye it in the bowl as best you can and do each packet one at a time. To fold the packets, I pulled the top and bottom together and then the sides up to the top one by one. Just make sure they secure so the liquid won't leak everywhere in your oven. Bake 25 minutes. Meanwhile cook some quinoa to serve with the packets.

Enjoy,
<3 Dani

Herb Salad

This salads looks totally normal but it's loaded with fresh herbs! Rita blessed me the other day with a ton of fresh produce from the garden, including a large variety of herbs. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them and then one night I decided to throw them in salad. Then I figured I might as well use some of the herbs from my own little garden and the salad had almost 10 different herbs when I was finished. I drizzled some balsamic vinegar and flaxseed oil for a dressing and I could not believe how wonderfully flavorful it was! All of the herbs together make every bight so delicious.

Herb Salad
oregano
thyme
marjoram
rosemary
chives
mint
basil
parsley
(Pictured Left: from top to bottom)

Anytime you have leftovers herbs throw them in your salad for a little twist! Edible flowers make a nice edition as well. They add beauty.

Enjoy,
<3 Dani

Watermelon & Tea Popsicles

Hey everyone, sorry it's been so long but I have lots of posts coming soon! Our friend Ryan came up from Santa Barbara this weekend and we all ran the Wharf to Wharf 10K race here in town. It was so much fun for all of us, a little wake up to the reality that we are all in training for a marathon. It's gonna be crazy! But so exciting. Bianca was very into "race day" and making sure we didn't do anything bad before "race day", luckily my newly made popsicles made the cut. And they were quite a success I would say, she and Ryan both loved them! My dad too!To Make:
Watermelon juice, from cut up watermelon
Your favorite fruity tea
Popsicle Maker
To make the watermelon popsicles I used all of the juice leftover from a big bowl of cut up watermelon, I kind of mashed it a little bit.
The tea ones were seperate, I brewed my favorite fruity tea, Passion made by Tazo and Berry Zinger by Celestial Seasonings. Both so yummy, you'll most likely want to use a stronger tea. Pour liquids into popsicle trays, stick in the popsicle stick and freeze. To take out run under a little water and pull from the stick end. Label so you remember which kind is what flavor.
My mom and I bought this popsicle maker online at Amazon, pretty inexpensive and well worth it for the perfect summer time treat. I know they have smaller ones for really cheap at Bed Bath and Beyond. Try these with any fruit juice or pureed fruit. I have some ideas for layered ones...can't wait to try them out!

Enjoy,
<3 Dani

Chickpea Tangine

I've been wanting to make this dinner recipe that I saw in Fitness magazine for a while now. It's supposed to be done on the stove top but you know how ours is broken right now so I simply threw the whole thing in a glass baking pan. It turned out great, my mom loved it! We served it over millet but couscous or quinoa would work well too. I'm finding millet is not the most favorite of grains. My mom and I sure do love it though!
1 1/2 C garbanzo beans, just a little less than one can
1 zucchini, cut into slices then quartered
1 carrot, cut into long slices then quartered
half a red onion, quartered
2 juicy tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 T fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 t cumin
1/4 t turmeric
1 whole cinnamon stick
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, include all the tomato juice this makes it saucy, you can also add olive oil, 1-2 T. Bake for half an hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Remove from oven and serve over warm millet.
Oh these pictures are making me hungry and I want to make this again! Too bad there wasn't leftovers. This ones really worth making guys!
Enjoy,
<3 Dani

Summer Oatmeal

My mom's oatmeal bowl looked so great that I just had to capture it and run a post. With all the nice summer weather we've been enjoying breakfast out in the backyard and my mom has altered her morning breakfast to less oatmeal and more fruit, much more fruit! Oatmeal is a great breakfast with lots of soluble fiber and good carbohydrates. Topping it with fruit adds sweetness and the almond milk cools the whole bowl off. Make this your breakfast tomorrow, you'll love it!

Summer Oatmeal
1/4 C oatmeal
berries, banana
raisins
walnuts
almond milk
Cook the oatmeal in 1/2 C water until nice and thick. Add fresh berries and banana slices. Top with chopped raw walnuts and raisins then drizzle with cool almond milk!

Enjoy,
<3 Dani

Edamame Millet Salad

Yes, another cold summer salad, it's just that season I can't help it :) But I love it! Hope you're enjoying it too. This one is definitely better the second day so make a day ahead or save leftovers. The millet takes awhile to cool so I made it a few hours ahead and then set it in the refrigerator until I mixed it with the edamame mixture.

Recipe
1 C millet
3 C water
2 C frozen edamame, defrosted
1 carrot, shredded
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 T grated ginger
1 orange, juiced
3 T Bragg's
3 T rice wine vinegar
Cook millet in water, bring to boil then simmer for 20 minutes. In a large bowl, mix all other ingredients. Mix in with the cooled millet, can be served right away.


Garden update: I have a bell pepper starting to grow! Totally green and maybe a half an inch big but it makes me so excited! God is showing me so much how he is the grower of all things, how he is ultimatly THE GARDENER and he will teach all we need to know to cultivate beautiful and bountiful crops. I am so know where near putting that into practice right now but someday, he gives me visions of my future garden. Getting in touch with God's creation really screams his beauty and majesty, it's a loss for we as a body of people have become very disconnected with this. Even just sitting out and watching the sunset, are you kidding? It leaves people without excuse as Paul says in Romans. The simple things God created for us are meant to satisfy our need to be awed and fascinated, bring yourself back to them and see his beauty.

Rest in Him today,
<3 Dani

Cherry Tomato and Asparagus Salad

Mom and I have been on a cold salad kick, hence the heat and the lack of stove. This one was by far the best! It's so simple, we both were expecting anything great and we could not believe how flavorful it was! It must be the combination of basil, lemon and dijon that's just right.
Recipe
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and halved
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, cubed
1/2 C basil chiffonade
2 t lemon juice
2 t dijon mustard
drizzle of flaxseed oil or other oil
salt and pepper
Steam the asparagus lightly, 7-10 minutes. Then simply throw everything in a large bowl and mix well.

We served the salad over quinoa and the two were great together. We'll try this one on the boys when there home and I'm sure they'll love it...or I hope!

With the boys gone the last few days have been quieter around here and I've been spending the mornings and sometimes afternoons out in our backyard with the Lord. I find myself feeling so safe and secure in His presence and never wanting to leave. It's really like David said, "In your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore," Psalm 16:11. Jesus is at God's right hand and in Him are all the pleasures we could ever desire. Getting before the Lord and coming into His presence reveals more of His overwhelming beauty to us. As we make this part of our daily lives we come to know Him more and more and truly realize THIS IS TRUE LOVE! Now, I can't say that I have ever been in love with anyone besides Jesus but His love is like none other.

Thank you Jesus that you loved us first.

Blessings in His name,
<3 Dani

Three Bean Salad

Alright, first night at our house without a stove was a great success! Since, we've literally been experiencing a heat wave we decided we wanted something light, cool and refreshing. So we took out the recipe for my Nan's old bean salad. This salad has been in the family forever, I remember making it with my mom as a kid. Perfectly healthy from the start and always delicious :)
Recipe
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can green beans
1 small jar pimentos
2/3 cup red onion, diced
1/4 C white vinegar
1/4 C oil, we used flax seed oil
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well together. Refrigerate overnight if possible to let all the flavors marinade. We only did it for about 3 hours and it was still great. This recipe serves two starving vegans just right :) As a side dish though it would serve 4 at least.
Take care of yourself in this heat, lots of raw veggie and plenty of water should do it!
<3 Dani

Asana

Bianca, Cassie, and our new-found friend Ashley all enjoyed a fun girls night out at Asana the other night. Asana is a tea house and cafe in Santa Cruz that serves vegan-friendly food. It's fabulous, but definitely "Santa Cruz" vibe, Cassie said we all stuck out like a sore thumb :)

The food is very authentic, they serve some delicious bowls with your choice of quinoa, brown rice or soba noodles. The Chomatchomile is my all time favorite dish! Cassie ordered one of their Pannini's which is pictured above.

They brew tons of different teas, white, black, rooibos, herbal, you name it they have it. We ordered a pot of Apricot Escape which we all loved, the pots are relatively inexpensive for the amount of cups you get which is a plus.

If you're in town and searching for healthy vegan food check this place out! You might even pop in on a night they have open mic like we did! Makes for quite the experience ;)
<3 Dani

p.s. Oh, they also have delicious desserts, raw and vegan!

Mulligatawny "Cabron" Style

Bianca's step brother Travis made this Indian style stew for us back during Christmas and I have been wanting to make it for my family. Sadly, they don't prefer Indian or vegan food so naturally it wasn't a hit. Someday I am going to make a meal they love.....someday. They loved the cucumber salad that I made though, recipe courtesy of a long time family friend.

Mulligatawny "Cabron" Style
4 big garlic cloves minced + an equal amount of ginger minced
1 white onion
2 carrots diced
1 green serrano chili (or more if desired)
1 T each of red curry powder, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric
3 C of lentils, preferably red lentils but green is okay
2 1-quart vegetable broth containers
1 small cauliflower chopped up bite size
1 bell pepper diced
1 can of coconut milk
bunch of cilantro
salt

In a large pot saute onion, garlic, and ginger in olive oil until onion softens, 5-8 minutes. Add all the powder spices and cook for a minute or two. Add lentils and vegetable broth and then cook on medium for fifteen minutes. Add the cauliflower, bell pepper, and serrano chili pepper. Then cook until lentils are done, about another 15-20 minutes. Once lentils are done, fill the blender about half full of the soup and a handful of cilantro, then pulse blend it slowly as blending hot liquid can "explode". After it is blended add it back to the pot at which point you can blend more if you want it creamier. I blend the whole soup making it a traditional Indian like stew that you dip Naan bread into. Now, for the people who like it really spicy, I take about of cup of the stew and blend it with an additional chili pepper and serve this part separately on the side so they can add it in accordingly. Add the can of coconut milk to the main part of the stew and cook on med-low for about 3-4 minutes stirring regularly.
Cucumber Salad
3-4 cucumbers, thinly sliced
half a large red onion, cut into thin ringlets
3-5 T brown rice vinegar
2-3 packets stevia

Throw all ingredients in a bowl and toss, add ingredients according to taste as you are preparing
the salad. Very simple but very delicious, let refrigerate for at least a half hour and the cucumbers get really crispy.

Serve the dinner with fresh Naan bread, it's best if you can find it at your local Indian restaurant and pick it up that day. I found a good whole wheat Naan, though not vegan, at Whole Foods. It was a special treat :) Cause really? What's Indian food without the Naan!

Bad news at the Rhoades house, we had a bit of an explosion on our stove top after this dinner and now we have to buy a new one! Which means while my dad is gone for the week, we won't have a stove-top! We're going to have to revert to the microwave, and get creative using the oven. So get ready for some oven baking recipes!

Have a blessed day,
<3 Dani

Sprouting Lentils

Sprouting is a great way to increase the nutritional quality of foods. When foods are sprouted, they become "extra live" as I like to say. And by now I'm assuming most people viewing this blog understand the importance of eating raw, "living" foods. Sprouting increases the protein availability, amount of vitamins and minerals as well as the enzyme levels of the food. I can't say that I myself have gotten really into sprouting but Bianca loves sprouted lentils so while I was at her house I took some photos and thought I'd do a post. Sprouting easy and inexpensive though it does take some time so you must be patient. The best foods to sprout are beans, nuts and seeds. Check out this site for more information on sprouting times for different foods.

Steps to Sprouting:
1) Obtain a mason jar, any size you like.
2) Fill jar 1/3 of the way with lentils.
3) Fill to the top with water and let soak for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
4) Turn over in a bowl, letting the water drain out, rinse every 12 hours or so continuing to allow them to drain (as pictured).
5) Wait patiently, they should start sprouting. At the first sight of a sprout you are good to go! They will last up to a week.

<3 Dani

Pickles

I have been wanting to make these pickles out of Recipes for Life and I finally got around to it today. There were some great long, Japanese cucumbers at the farmers so I grabbed plenty of them! These make such a great little snack or and addition to a sandwich or salad. The possibilities are endless!

Recipe:
2 C cucumbers
1 C red onion
1 C water
3 T lemon juice
2 T Bragg's
1 clove garlic
1/2 t turmeric
1 t fresh parsley
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 t dill weed

To make:
Thinly slice cucumbers, I left the skin on mine after scrubbing them, but I would only do this if you bought organic cucumbers. Dice red onion, mince garlic, finely chop parsley. In a 32 oz. jar add liquid ingredients and seasonings, mix well. Add in the cucumber, red onion, garlic and parsley. Seal the lid on and shake jar very well. Refrigerate for an hour or so then they are ready to eat! The flavor will improve as they sit longer.

Enjoy,
<3 Dani

Fire Roasted Salsa

Bianca and I wanted to put a special touch on our usual taco night while we were at the lake so we made some home-made fire roasted salsa! She called her brother-in law to get the 411 on roasted salsa, we used what we had and we went for it. It was really delicious, definitely not mild and completely gone by the end of dinner. Everyone loved it!

Fire-Roasted Salsa
Ingredients:
4-5 beef steak or other large tomatoes
1 small white onion
1 serrano chili pepper
1 anaheim pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro


To Make:
Heat up the grill. Let it get warm while you chop up the veggies. Tomatoes and onion sliced in half so they lay nicely on the grill. Peppers remain whole. Grill tomatoes, onion and peppers 8-10 minutes, until the tomatoes are charred. Remove cilantro leaves from the stem, add to your Cuisinart or blender with garlic cloves and grilled veggies. Be sure to leave the seeds in the peppers, they add all the spice! Blend well adding salt and pepper to taste. Let chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

Enjoy!
<3 Dani