Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian

Bright Eyed & Bushy Kaled Bites

You guys are seriously too cute. I loved reading all of your comments about why I should keep writing personal posts! My favorite is when a couple of you said “If I only wanted to see recipes, I would just buy a cook book!” That totally stuck with me : )

Soooo ever since I started working with DOLE Salads, I’ve been BEGGING them for kale! At every event I would raise my hand and say “WHERE’S THE KALE?!” Seriously, this bunny can’t get enough kale!

Through the past year I’ve been pleasantly surprised seeing kale pop up in DOLE’s Chopped Salads, buttttt the moment has finally come for an entire package of kale! Drumroll please…

DOLE POWER UP GREENS!!!
DOLE Power Up Greens come in 3 different varieties:

Dole-Power-Up-Greens-Kale-Bites-3 Baby Kale: Just baby kale
Baby Kale and Greens: Baby spinach, baby kale, baby green chard, baby red chard
Spring Mix and Greens: Arugula, baby green oak, baby green romaine, baby red oak, red baby romaine, green chard, green tango, lola rosa, mizuna, red chard, tat-soi, spinach, baby kale, curly endive, green leaf, red tango, mache. <<< The perfect mix for the ULTIMATE green smoothie!

DOLE has been challenging me to think outside of the bowl by using salads in different ways, and for their new Power Up Greens, they’ve asked me to create a super power snack that is pop-able and bite-sized! My friend Beth has been telling me to use the name “Bright Eyed & Bushy Kaled” for months now, and I finally found the perfect time to use it! These adorable little Kale Bites resemble “cotton tails!” They may be cute but they’re tasty too!

These little morsels are baked not fried, and loaded with antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and K from the DOLE Power Up Greens! They’re an easy super power snack to serve to your friends and family that’s healthy and delish.

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Bright Eyed & Bushy Kaled Bites
Yields about 15 kale bites

1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 packages (4 cups packed) DOLE Power Up Greens – Baby Kale
1 large scallion
1 egg
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a pan over medium high heat, sauté yellow onion in olive oil until softened and translucent. Add kale to frying pan, sautéing until the kale wilts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Place cooked kale and onion into a food processor along with the chopped scallion, and pulse for several seconds. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the egg, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix with a spoon until well combined. Using a one Tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop the kale mixture into 1 Tbsp sized balls. Place kale balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Tip: After 15 minutes, turn your oven to broil and let the tops of the kale balls brown for about 1 minute.

DOLE has definitely been thinking outside of the bowl, and they’ve created some super power recipes for you to try!

It’s a chip, its healthy, it’s Kale Chips!
These oven-baked chips are the crunchy, satisfying snack you’ve been craving. And, because they’re made from DOLE® Power Up Greens™ Baby Kale, they have the calcium and manganese your body needs. Try them as an accompaniment to a sandwich, a topping on a pasta dish, or enjoy a big bowl of them while you veg out!

Lentils “Meatballs” with Kale Pesto
Meatballs are a hit at nearly every mealtime and occasion. But what about a meatball without the meat? Round, flavorful morsels, our “meatballs” turn lentils and greens into small pleasures that even the most ardent meat lover will enjoy. A great way to get your protein, and topped with a robust kale pesto, it is easy to see why these little goodies are a favorite among vegetarians.

Interested in DOLE Power Up Greens?
Use their Store Locator to find greens near you!

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Beet and Mandarin Orange Salad

I am just in love with all of the healthy meals that Paulette Lambert, R.D. made for us at the DOLE Summit. I felt so spoiled having all of these incredible meals prepared for me during my trip. I pretty much died and went to rabbit food heaven! I learned so many creative healthy ways to use DOLE packaged foods that I never would’ve thought of before! If only I could have Paulette in my kitchen every day! Le sigh.

I am definitely a texture person, and this salad was filled with the perfect combination of textures from chewy quinoa to juicy mandarin oranges and crisp lettuce. I loved the addition of quinoa because it makes the salad extra filling and satiating. Plus, it’s Rabbit Food Pyramid approved! I’ve broken it down for you at the end of the post!

This salad would be just delightful for a weekend brunch with a Pineapple Apricot Bellini!
Oh yes, I have a recipe for that too!

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Beet and Mandarin Orange Salad
Recipe By: Paulette Lambert, R.D., CDE
Serves 8
Calories per serving: 95

Salad
4 large beets, rinsed and trimmed
2 heads of frisee lettuce, outer leaves removed (or baby greens)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup DOLE Mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup DOLE golden raisins
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 cup cooked tri-colored OR red quinoa
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Vinaigrette
1 1/2 Tablespoons grape seed oil
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon orange flower water
1 1/2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Wrap beets in foil and roast on a rimmed baking sheet for 45-60 minutes, until tender. When finished roasting, and cool enough to handle, peel and dice beets into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. In a large serving bowl, toss frisee, beets, onion, oranges, raisins, olives and quinoa. In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, toss gently and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: frisee, beets, red onion, mandarin oranges, golden raisins
Whole Grain:  quinoa
Protein: goat cheese
Plant Based Fat: olives and grape seed oil from vinaigrette
Free Extras: orange flower water, red wine vinegar, parsley , salt & pepper

Brunch it up, take a walk on the wild side and pair this with Pineapple Apricot Bellinis!

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Pineapple Apricot Bellinis
Serves 4

1 cup sparkling white wine or sparkling cider
1/2 cup DOLE Pineapple Juice
1/2 cup apricot nectar

Combine sparkling wine, pineapple juice, and apricot nectar in a pitcher. Stir with a spoor; pour into champagne flutes. Garnish with apricot or pineapple wedges, if desired.
Please drink responsibly!

| 2 Comments
Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Gingered Carrot and Orange Soup

The healthy DOLE recipes continue!

This is a Gingered Carrot and Orange Soup that we got to enjoy at the DOLE Summit. The soup is vegan and gluten-free, while still remaining creamy and thick. There’s also an unexpected ingredient; DOLE Mandarin Oranges, that give it a little extra flavor! Paulette Lambert, R.D. also added a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt atop of our soups which is of course optional, but totally delicious!

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Gingered Carrot and Orange Soup
Recipe By: Paulette Lambert, R.D., CDE
Serves 8
Calories per serving: 95

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
2 quarts reduced sodium, fat-free, organic vegetable broth
1 cup DOLE Mandarin Oranges, drained
1 teaspoon sea salt (or more, to taste)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt (optional)
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Saute carrots, onions and ginger until soft. Add broth and simmer until carrots are fork-tender. Working in batches, puree Mandarin oranges and cooked vegetables in a blender, food processor or use an immersion blender (or your Vitamix! Just add to blender at this step then puree until smooth and very hot, continuing on with step four). Return soup to Dutch oven. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold. Garnish with Greek yogurt and chopped cilantro.

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| 3 Comments
Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Vegan (Quinoa) Mac & Cheese

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We all know the blue box macaroni and cheese…
Remember the cute little girl singing “I’ve got the blues,”
If you were like me, you totally asked your mom to buy you the blue box because it was the best, and no other mac ‘n’ cheese mattered unless it was in suh-weeet shapes of cartoon characters like the Looney Tunes.

Well, time to step away from the blue box my friends!
Blue box= yellow 5, yellow 6, sodium tripolyphosphate, and other questionable ingredients.
NOT OK!

I mean it’s good, and I totally ate it growing up and lived off of it in college (Sponge Bob Squarepants shapes to be exact) but seriously, the more I look at ingredients and nutritional info… that shiz scares me!

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I totally appreciate a good mac and cheese. The oozy gooey and crispy baked kind made at home from scratch, but my skin just cannot handle that stuff anymore. When I eat super heavy foods made with full fat cheeses and milks, my skin pays for it. Funny how what we eat can really affect so many different things, with our bodies, mood, energy, etc., rights?

Being that my fav thing to do on my blog is show you healthier and veganized versions of your fav comfort foods, I’m shocked I haven’t made a healthy macaroni and cheese before!

I’ve taken out the dairy, processed vegan cheeses, artificial coloring, white pasta, and strange ingredients. I know what you’re thinking right now… is she giving us a recipe for water?

Nope!

Just protein packed fluffy quinoa and veggie infused vegan mac and cheese, NBD (no big deal)!

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My vegan “cheese” is made from Nutritional Yeast, I know it sounds gross/weird, but don’t knock it until you try it! Want to know why nutritional yeast is good for you? I have tons of facts about Nutritional Yeast! Prepare your tastebuds, you’re in for a real treat, bunnies!

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Vegan (Quinoa) Mac & Cheese
Serves 1

2 cups broccoli
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 Tbsp whole wheat flour (you could also use spelt, rice, or tapioca flour)
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt

Cook quinoa over stove with water to package instructions until fluffy and soft. In a separate saucepan over media heat, combine almond milk, nutritional yeast, whole wheat flour, dijon mustard, garlic powder, and salt. Stir the sauce for about 4 minutes until it becomes thick. Cut and steam broccoli and add to the cooked quinoa. Transfer the cheese sauce to the quinoa and broccoli and coat evenly. Serve hot, enjoy!

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Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Avocado Rice Cake Snack

I’m having so much fun at the DOLE Summit today! I cannot wait to share all of my photos and new recipes with you when I have some more down time!

Let’s talk about snacks:
I have to have snacks throughout the day. I’m not one of those people that can have 3 meals a day, I basically have to eat small meals and snacks to keep myself from getting hungry.
Hangry: (adjective) Feeling or showing anger caused by hunger. Combination of “hungry” and “angry.”

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This is one of my favorite snacks in the entire world. Not only does it keep you from getting hungry but it’s a snack with nutritional value and purpose.

Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. This will satiate your sweet tooth, give you a little bit of crunch, and keep you full until dinnertime! Win win… win! POWERSNACK!

It’s funny, because I never liked avocado growing up. I loved guacamole, but that was about it. Since discovering all of my food allergies, I’ve branched out and started liking so many foods that I never did before. In California, we refer to avos as “California butter.” Avocados are super buttery and creamy and can actually be used in place of butter and oil in recipe. So if this sounds a little weird to you, try it out on toast first! Just think: butter on toast… avocado on toast… similar, and soooo good for you! The lemon, salt, and pepper add the best flavor to avos, and I’ve heard lemon pepper is bomb.com mixed in too! I need to try that one!

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Avocado Rice Cake
Serves 1

2 brown rice cakes
1/2 small avocado
1/2 tsp lemon juice
pinch of salt & pepper

Mash the avocado with a fork. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix until well combine. Spread onto two brown rice cakes.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: none
Whole Grain:  2 brown rice cakes
Protein: none
Plant Based Fat: 1/2 small avocado
Free Extras: lemon juice, salt, and pepper

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