Baked Polenta with Veggies and Marinara

We wanted to try something new, something that would be a more traditional Italian dish that you wouldn't normally find at Italian restaurants. This is what we made, and it ended up being one of our favorite meals so far.

polenta recipe

ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of organic polenta cornmeal

6 cups of water

3 tablespoons of organic extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking veggies

1 organic zucchini, sliced

1 organic Yukon Gold potato, sliced

1 large organic tomato, diced

1 small organic yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 cloves of organic garlic

Sea salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

recipe:

i. In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a boil, then stir in the polenta and sea salt. Turn on low heat and add olive oil, then let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.

ii. Spoon polenta evenly into a large baking pan and refrigerate until it has cooled.

iii. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

iv. Place tomato, onion and garlic in a baking pan, then drizzle with olive oil and bake until tomatoes have slightly shrunken and onion has browned.

v. Put tomatoes, onion and garlic into a food processor and combine until they form a sauce. Salt and pepper to your liking.

vi. From here, pour the sauce into a small saucepan and add your preferred seasonings and spices (our marinara is a secret) then bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover and let simmer until you are ready to pour over polenta.

vii. Take polenta out of refrigerator, then place potato and zucchini in the same baking pan in which you cooked the tomato and onion, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place both the veggies and polenta in 375 degree oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft in the middle but still hold their texture and polenta is thoroughly heated.

viii. Cut polenta into squares, then top with veggies and marinara and serve.

makes 6 servings

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Spinach and Tofu Enchiladas

We love Mexican food, but it is hard to always find good, authentic-tasting Mexican food. These enchiladas are the best we've ever had. We know we say that with a lot of our recipes, but what's the point of cooking if you don't love your own food? And what's the point in always going to get your favorite kinds of food if you already know how to make them? So skip going to the Mexican restaurant down the road, because we promise that you will have a much better time with these. Oh, and you will also need to have a food processor handy.

enchilada sauce recipe


ingredients:

2 large organic heirloom tomatoes (or 3 medium ones), diced
1 medium organic yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of organic garlic
3 dried chiles de arbol, with seeds removed
2 teaspoons of organic ground cumin
1/4 cup of organic Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons of organic chile ancho powder (You can increase the amount of powder for spicier sauce or decrease it for less spicy sauce)
Sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

recipe:

i. In a medium frying pan, dry cook the onion, garlic, chiles de arbol, cumin, oregano and chile ancho powder.
ii. When the mixture becomes aromatic, remove from heat and place into a food processor.
iii. Add tomatoes, sea salt and pepper to food processor and combine until ingredients form a liquid.
iv. Transfer to a medium saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then put on low heat and let simmer for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.
v. Strain the sauce to remove excess liquid. (If you do not do this, sauce will become watery while in the oven.)

enchilada recipe


ingredients:

10 large organic corn tortillas
14 ounces of organic extra firm tofu, dried and cubed
5 cups of organic spinach
8 ounces of Queso Fresco (cheese)
Sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of organic extra virgin olive oil

recipe:

i. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
ii. In a medium frying, heat 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil on medium heat, then add tofu and cook on high heat.
iii. Salt and pepper tofu to your liking and cook until tofu is brown and crisp, then remove from heat.
iv. In a medium frying pan, heat 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil on medium heat, then add spinach.
v. Cook spinach until it wilts, then remove from heat.
vi. Steam the tortillas so that they are flexible enough not to tear when being rolled.
vii. Fill each tortilla with spinach and tofu, then roll tortillas and place them in a large baking pan.
viii. Top with enchilada sauce and Queso Fresco crumbles, then place in oven and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until cheese is browned, then serve.

makes ten enchiladas


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Dijon Seitan Salad

We try to make a different salad every week. This has been our favorite so far, along with the Gala Gorgonzola salad. The seitan has a good meaty flavor, which goes well with the Dijon dressing. Whether you're a vegetarian or carnivore, this salad will satisfy your meat cravings. It's great on it's own or as a side. Plus it's simple, fast and healthy, and you'll probably want more.

dressing recipe


ingredients:

1 tablespoon of organic Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of organic honey
1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of organic extra virgin olive oil (Use less if you want the dressing to taste more mustard-y.)
Sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

recipe:

i. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.

salad recipe


ingredients:

4 cups of organic mixed greens
8 ounces of seitan (You can make it yourself or buy it at the store. Either way, it is very tasty.)
Pepper, to taste

recipe:

i. Turn medium frying pan on medium heat.
ii. Cut seitan into strips and add it to the pan. You do not need oil.
iii. Pepper the seitan to your taste.
iv. Toss the mixed greens and dressing together, then plate.
v. Once the seitan is browned on both sides, arrange it on each salad, then serve.

serves two-four


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Caprese Panini

A panini influenced by the traditional Insalata Caprese, this sandwich is refreshing and light. And with the addition of seasonal heirloom tomatoes, it is perfect for the summer. We served ours with a side of roasted potatoes. And for the more adventurous, we suggest adding a little balsamic reduction to give it a burst of sweetness.

panini recipe


ingredients:

1 loaf of Ciabatta bread, sliced how you prefer
2 large organic heirloom tomatoes, sliced
6 oz of fresh mozzarella from a local dairy farm or ethical company, sliced
1 cup of organic fresh basil
1/2 cup of organic pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano
Juice of 1/4 of an organic lemon
Sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of organic extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the bread

recipe:

i. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, then start grill. If you do not have a grill, use a sandwich press, frying pan, or oven to cook the paninis.
ii. Place the tomatoes onto a baking sheet and salt and pepper them to your liking.
iii. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the olive oil over the tomatoes and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until they begin to brown and the juices have somewhat dried.
iv. In a food processor, combine basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1/4 cup of olive oil and lemon juice. If you do not have a food processor, use a knife to mince all the solid ingredients, then combine with the liquid ingredients in a bowl.
v. Spread half of the pesto onto each sandwich.
vi. Place tomatoes onto each sandwich, then add the mozzarella.
vii. Cook on grill until cheese has melted or until each side has decent-looking grill marks. As we mentioned earlier, if you do not have a grill, use a different method and cook until cheese has melted or bread is browned.
viii. Serve with your choice of side. But roasted potatoes go wonderfully with the paninis.

makes two paninis


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Lemon Quinoa

Here's a very simple meal that you can variate in all sorts of ways, but we are giving you the basic recipe. You can do whatever you want to it from there, but it is still tasty on its own. It goes perfectly with some Ciabatta bread topped with avocado. It's a quick and light summer meal.

lemon quinoa recipe


ingredients:

1 cup of organic black quinoa (You can use regular quinoa if you prefer.)
2 cups of water
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
Organic fresh parsley, to taste

recipe:

i. In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and water and bring to a boil.
ii. Once the quinoa is boiling, turn to low heat, cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all water is gone.
iii. Squeeze the lemon juice over the quinoa and stir, then plate.
iv. Garnish with some organic fresh parsley and serve.

serves two


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Ricotta Pesto-Stuffed Shells in Marinara

We love pasta. Along with bread and cheese, pasta is one of our favorite things to eat. We cook Italian dishes more than anything else, and this specific recipe ties for first with our gnocchi. Italian food is always so flavorful and filling, and these stuffed shells stay true to that. A refreshing ricotta pesto stuffed into organic Conchiglioni and topped with our savory but subtly-sweet marinara, this dish is perfect.
By the way, you will have to come up with your own version of marinara or buy it at the store because ours is secret. But we will give you a hint: we made it from scratch with heirloom tomatoes.

ricotta pesto recipe


ingredients:

1 cup of organic fresh basil, minced (We used purple basil)
1 cup of organic fresh spinach, minced
1 cup of organic pine nuts, finely-chopped
1 clove of organic garlic, minced
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of ricotta cheese from local dairy farm or ethical company

recipe:

i. Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until thoroughly-combined.


stuffed shells recipe


ingredients:

5 ounces of large organic Conchiglioni shells (should come out to be around 16 shells)
2 cups of our ricotta pesto
3 cups of marinara
1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

recipe:

i. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
ii. Using a spoon, stuff each shell with the ricotta pesto and place in a large baking pan.
iii. Pour marinara over shells, covering each shell as well as the bottom of the dish.
iv. Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano over entire dish.
v. Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes, then serve.

serves two


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Vegan Lentil Patties

We love being vegetarian, but if there is one thing we miss, it's a good burger. We have tried so many different veggie patties, but none of them have that flavor of a beef burger. This is the closest we have ever tasted. The thick meatiness of the lentils mixed with the strong flavor of the onions hits the spot perfectly. This is not only our favorite veggie burger, but one of our favorite burgers of all time. And to think we were able to achieve the flavor of a good beef burger while also keeping the patties vegan!

lentil patty recipe


ingredients:

11/2 cups of cooked French green lentils
Half of a large organic onion, minced
2 cups of bread crumbs
4 cloves of organic garlic, minced
1/4 cup of organic pine nuts, toasted
11/2 teaspoon of organic light brown sugar
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
Pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste

recipe:

i. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked lentils, onion, garlic, brown sugar and soy sauce.
ii. Stir in the pine nuts until they are evenly-distributed in the mixture.
iii. Add bread crumbs and mix until everything holds together.
iv. Use your hands to form patties out of the mixture.
v. Season both sides of each patty with pepper and sea salt.
vi. Cook either in a frying pan on medium-high heat or in oven at 400 degrees until patties have browned.
vii. Serve on ciabatta buns with toppings of your choice.

makes four large patties or six small patties

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Gala Gorgonzola Salad

This is by far the best salad we have ever eaten, and we're not just saying that because we made it. Every ingredient complements all the others perfectly. It's as if everything combines to make one huge wonderful flavor, without being overwhelming. It's great to make on a hot summer evening, with the windows open and a bottle of Sangria to share.

salad recipe


ingredients:

1/4 pound of organic mixed greens
1 cup of organic watercress
1 organic Gala apple, thinly-sliced
1 cup of organic dried cranberries
1 cup of organic raw walnuts
1 cup of Gorgonzola, crumbled
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

recipe:

i. Heat a medium frying pan on medium heat.
ii. Add lemon juice and walnuts to pan and toast until slightly-browned.
iii. In a large salad bowl, combine mixed greens, watercress, apple, dried cranberries, walnuts and cheese.
iv. Pour the vinegar and olive oil over the salad and toss all ingredients together, then serve.

serves four


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Simple Summer Bean Salad

with balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Sometimes, we just don't feel like turning on the oven and making a huge mess of the dishes. This is simple, clean and delicious. It's also a quick recipe to make if you're in a hurry. It is great as a dinner entree but can also be eaten as a light lunch. The hotter it is outside, the more refreshing this will taste. Super filling. Super tasty. Super healthy.

bean salad recipe


ingredients:

1 15oz can of organic garbanzo beans, drained
1 15oz can of organic green beans, drained
1 15oz can of organic black beans, drained
1 15oz can of organic kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup of our Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

recipe:

i. Combine all beans in a large bowl and mix together.
ii. Pour vinaigrette over beans and toss together, then serve.

serves four


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