light

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

Remember on Facebook when I said my kitchen smelled like cotton candy?
Well it wasn’t cotton candy, and it was not vegan marshmallows: it was a vegetable.
You heard that right! Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash to be exact!
Easy to prepare, delicious, nutritious, and very filling!

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

Ahhh tis the season of winter squash!
My seasonal squash of choice? Acorn Squash.
Now take a look at this fine little cutie! (seriously, I think they are so adorable!)
Don’t let the cutie patootie looks fool you, this is a mean, lean, powerhouse nutrient machine!

  • One cup of acorn squash contains 145% of the daily recommended requirements for Vitamin A.
  • It also contains Vitamin C, potassium, manganese, folate (folic acid), and 15% of the omega three fatty acids necessary to good health
  • It’s also an excellent source of fiber that will keep you full and focused.

Now, you may be asking, how does one choose an acorn squash? Pick the cutest one available. Just kiddinggg!

Look for: Select a squash that has a good balance between green and orange skin. You want to choose a smooth squash without any soft spots. The heavier the squash, the more moist it will be, so choose a squash that is heavy for it’s size.
Avoid: Too much orange coloring on the skin, which indicates an overripe squash.
Storage: Store at room temperature (no need to refrigerate before cooking) and use within two weeks of purchase. Cooked acorn squash can be sealed and refrigerated up to 4 days.

The first way I ever had an acorn squash was roasted with butter and brown sugar, and to this day it is still my favorite.There is nothing like the smell of Sweet Acorn Squash roasting in the oven. It smells like a sweet sugary dream come true!
Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash
Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash
Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash
Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash
Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash
Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash
I decided to lighten up this recipe with Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread With Olive Oil. If you haven’t tried this before, you need to head on over to your local Health Food store and get a tub. My mom and I have been using it in place of butter in our Armenian family recipes to give those heavy meals, a light touch. It’s an incredible alternative to butter, made with natural expeller-pressed oils such as soybean, olive, and Flax. It’s also vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, casein-free, non-GMO, and contains no trans fat, and no cholesterol. With all of that said, this is a great source of healthy plant based monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated  fats.

Earth Balance

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash
Serves 2

1 Acorn Squash (about 1 lb)
1 Tbsp Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
1 Tbsp brown sugar or Splenda Brown Sugar Blend

Preheat oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the center. Cut the acorn squash in half. Scrape out the seeds and strings (like a pumpkin). Save the seeds for another recipe coming soon! Divide the Earth Balance spread into 1/2 Tbsps. Using your fingers, coat the yellow flesh of each squash with Earth Balance. Divide the brown sugar into 1/2 tbsps and sprinkle over each half of the squash. Place in a baking pan and surround with crinkled aluminum foil to hold the halves upright. Place in the oven and roast until fork tender about 45 minutes to one hour.
Note: I recommend using a baking pan with raised edges so any drippings can be caught.
On that note: If you don’t have a baking pan with raised edges, you can shape your own out of foil and then place on top of a cookie sheet.
Last note: Don’t throw the seeds away! Keep them in a ziplock or container in the fridge for another recipe.

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: Acorn squash
Whole Grain: 0
Protein: 0
Plant Based Fat: Earth Balance Olive Oil Buttery Spread

Mmmm tastes like fall, feels like winter!
Roasted acorn squash would be excellent stuffed with quinoa(whole grain) and lentils (protein). Stay tuned for a recipe to stuff your cute little squash!

| 13 Comments
Recipes, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Coconana Bars

Motivation Monday: “When something bad happens, you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you.”

Indulgent ooey gooey chewy coconut banana bars with a secret ingredient!
TOFU!!!!

Coconana Bars
Coconana Bars

If you aren’t a fan of tofu (or think it’s scary!) this is a great starter recipe for you. You cannot even taste it, yet it contributes to the gooey texture of the bars with a dabble of protein. Tofu is so incredibly versatile that it goes way beyond the traditional stir-fry. I have used tofu in pudding and smoothie recipes, and yesterday I decided to take it to the next level. Enter baking experiment.

Coconana Bars

It took me about 3 tries to get this recipe to the right texture. I had never baked with tofu or Splenda Brown Sugar before, so it was a day of trial and error.The first round turned out like a rubber ball. No joke, it probably bounced. After the first catastrophe I aimed for more tofu and less flour, which resulted in a sloppy mess that slightly resembled dog food. Before I knew it I had baked through two episodes of Real Housewives of Atlanta, Sex & The City the movie, and Shahs of Sunset. Alas Coconana Bars were born!

Here they are in all their glory.Coconana Bars
Coconana Bars

100% dairy free, 100% oil free, 100% vegan, 100% DELIGHTFUL

Now let’s talk Splenda. I know, I know, some of you may be thinking… Splenda? Is she kidding? Is that healthy? Well here it is folks: I felt adventurous and wanted to make a guilt free dessert without all of the fat and sugar that usually comes along with it! Everyone has their own opinion on artificial sweeteners, but once in a while I don’t mind living on the edge and using Splenda. It’s also a great alternative for others who are trying to watch their sugar intake for medical or weight loss reasons. Of course stevia is still my main squeeze when it comes to daily use! I hope that someone comes out with a Stevia Brown Sugar Blend, that would be fannnntastic.

Coconana Bars
Makes 6 bars

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 banana – mashed
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup silken tofu – blended
4 Tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend (or 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp rum extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Optional Toppings
1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Blend the tofu in a blender until smooth. Transfer mashed tofu into a mixing bowl. Mash the banana and combine with tofu. Next, add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, rum extract, and coconut to the tofu banana mixture. Stir until well mixed. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt ).Pour the tofu banana mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold the ingredients together until well combined (be gentle, and do not over stir the batter or the bars will come out tough). Spray a 9 x 5in loaf pan with nonstick spray. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 13-14 minutes.
Note: The center should be a little gooey and soft. If overcooked, they can have a tough rubbery texture. There is no harm in undercooking the bars since there are no eggs!

If you’re feeling fancy, mix powdered sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the bars right after they come out of the oven. Cut and serve for a healthy dessert.

If you are interested in baking with Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, here are their conversions to make baking a cinch:

BROWN SUGAR:
USE THIS MUCH SPLENDA®BROWN SUGAR:
1/4 cup
1/8 cup (2 tablespoons or 6 teaspoons)
1/3 cup
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp (or 8 teaspoons)
1/2 cup
1/4 cup (or 4 Tbsp or 12 tsp)
2/3 cup
1/3 cup (or 5 Tbsp + 1 tsp, or 16 tsp)
3/4 cup
6 Tbsp (or 18 tsp)
1 cup
1/2 cup 

Question: What do you think about artificial sweeteners? Do you use them on occasion? Do you steer clear?

I’m off to have an ultrasound of my thyroid. Wahhhh! Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts! xo

| 24 Comments
Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian

Cherry Chia Parfait

Sooo I’ve been super obsessed with my Cherry Chia Jam over the past few days. So obsessed that I have been eating it plain as a Jell-o-ish snack after my workout, on my toast, and now in a parfait! Since my one serving of fruit (1 cup of cherries), and one serving of plant based fat (1 Tbsp of chia seeds) have been taken care of, all I needed to complete my breakfast was a serving of whole-grain and protein, so I opted for some oats and plain Greek yogurt! I enjoyed the flavor combination of ripe cherries & tart Greek yogurt and the chewy texture of the oats. It was both refreshing and filling and just what I needed on this hot day! I will definitely be making this more often! Maybe with some mango Chia Jam? I’m sure that will be happening sometime soon!

As I was in the checkout line at Sprout’s Farmers Market the other day, a woman behind me was trying to convince her friend to buy chia seeds and I could’t help but eavesdrop and awkwardly join their conversation with some chia recipes haha She told me that she puts chia seeds in her tea as a tapioca/boba substitute! GENIUS! So happy I talk to strangers in grocery store lines! I need to try that!

I just love those little seeds! Aren’t they so much fun?


Cherry Chia Parfait
Serves 1

1 cup Cherry Chia Jam
1/4 cup rolled oats
6oz plain nonfat Greek yogurt

Prepare the Cherry Chia Jam to original instructions and refrigerate for at least one hour before adding to the parfait. In a glass jar or cup, layer half of the yogurt along the bottom, followed by half of the oats, and half of the Cherry Chia Jam. Repeat until all of your ingredients have been layered in the jar. Enjoy cold.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: cherries (from jam)
Whole Grain: rolled oats
Protein: plain nonfat Greek Yogurt
Plant Based Fat: chia seeds (from jam)

| 16 Comments
Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tofu & Wild Rice Stuffed Pepper

One of my favorite new tricks is to cook veggies in low sodium vegetable broth instead of oil. When cooking with oil, it’s easy to loose track of how much you are using, and the calories and fat can add up quickly. Olive oil contains about 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon compared to Pacific low-sodium vegetable broth, which has 15 calories per cup and zero grams of fat. This is an easy way to lighten up your dish, but still get the same sautéed texture. Olive oil is heart healthy and has tons of other benefits, but I usually like to use it with recipes that do not require heating/cooking it.

Tofu & Wild Rice Stuffed Pepper
serves 1

½ cup cooked wild rice
1/5 package tofu
1 large red bell pepper
¼ cup minced onion
¼ cup shredded carrot
¼ cup baby spinach (packed)
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ low-sodium vegetable broth
¼ tsp minced garlic or garlic powder
½ tsp salt-free Italian herb seasoning

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cook the wild rice to package instructions and set aside. Cut the bell pepper in half and remove seeds, set aside. In a pan over medium heat, combine the tofu, onion, carrot, baby spinach, celery, and garlic and sauté in the vegetable broth until vegetables are tender and liquid has been absorbed. After vegetables and tofu have finished cooking, combine with wild rice and Italian herb seasoning. Pour the mixture evenly into the bell pepper halves. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. If needed, add foil over the tops of peppers to eliminate burning.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell pepper, onion, carrot, spinach, and celery
Whole Grain: wild rice
Protein: tofu
Plant Based Fat: none in this dish

 

| 2 Comments

1 2