hardly-meatless sandwich

I love a good, warm sandwich, and even vegans need an easy to-go lunch or go-to dinner. My sandwiches are fancy and filling.  I call it "hardly-meatless" because once you add all the toppings, this sandwich is so thick and flavorful that you would not even want any meat!!

the recipe:

2 slices of your favorite bread (toasted)
hummus
avocado
sprouts
tomato
cucumber
mushrooms
green peppers
green onion
red onion
radishes
spinach
cilantro
salt & pepper to taste

Toast your bread, spread a generous amount of hummus and avocado, and do your best to pile up all the toppings! Seriously, I really have every single one of those ingredients on my sandwich, but I'm not going to lie, it's a challenge to balance it all! :)

family friendly friday

meatless sloppy joes

This is a great recipe to make for a big family.  We make the whole recipe for just the two of us, then eat sloppy joes all week long.  And don't you worry about not getting enough protein! Lentils have the third-highest protein content in the legume family (after soybeans and hemp).  I promise you will be pleasantly surprised by this sweet and spicy dish.

 

the recipe:

1 lb brown lentils
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
1/2 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper

Cook lentils according to instructions. Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes, until mixture reaches desired thickness.  Drain lentils, and add to sauce.  Serve on toasted buns. 

family friendly friday

build your own pizza

When I was a kid, I used to love making homemade pizza! Something about adding your own toppings makes it taste extra yummy.  And with these healthy toppings, you can go crazy!  Believe me, when your pizza is piled high with colorful veggies, you won't even notice that there's no cheese or meat...but, if you can't wrap your head around that, go ahead and sprinkle some cheese.  

the recipe:

• Flatbread (I use whole wheat)
• Pizza sauce  
• Nutritional yeast*
•  A variety of chopped veggies:

                Spinach

                Red & yellow peppers

                Mushrooms

                Artichoke hearts

                Green onion

                Crushed pineapple

                Red Onion

Preheat oven and cookie sheet to 425.  Brush flatbread with olive oil.  Spread a generous amount of pizza sauce (without any cheese, the extra sauce is nice for adding moisture).  Add toppings, sprinkle nutritional yeast, bake for 6-7 minutes, and enjoy! 

 

Tip: Scoop the left over toppings into a bowl of spinach, lettuce, or kale and you've got yourself a fancy salad as a side!

*Nutritional yeast is a good source of protein and vitamins, especially vitamin B.  It is often sold as flakes in the bulk food section, and is often used as in recipes as a cheese substitute because of its cheesy, nutty flavor.