Faux Banana Nut Crunch Cereal

Knowing we needed to be a lot more conscious about our protein and iron intake now that we're vegetarian, I searched online for lists of non-meat sources of these essential nutrients...
and discovered that it's actually really easy to get your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of iron. How, you ask? Through fortified cereals! Yep, boxed cold cereals (especially bran), oatmeal, and Cream of Wheat are all packed with this stuff.
This little number is my current favorite. It tastes a lot like one of my all-time favorite cereals--Post's Great Grains Banana Nut Crunch--but is full of even more nutrition than the original! Like the Post cereal, it's sweet and crunchy, but now it's also filled with 90% of your RDA of iron, 6.5 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fiber! I don't know about you, but I'm seeing a lot more cereal in my future!

 

Jenny's Faux Banana Nut Crunch Cereal
Serves 1

3/4 cup bran flakes cereal
2/3 cup Special K Multigrain Oats & Honey cereal
1/8 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup diced banana

Place all ingredients in bowl, then stir to combine. Top with your favorite (non-dairy) milk (we prefer almond), and enjoy!

Rip's Rockin' Vegetable Lasagna

Every family has their special occaision dinners, and lasagna is ours. Growing up, Travis' family ate it for their Christmas Eve dinner, and now we carry on that tradition with our little family as well. Over the years, lasagna has also made appearances on Valentine's day and birthdays--any time that calls for an extra something special. And recently, we've included it on our pre-race dinner menu too (Running is Travis' hobby and he does 2 to 3 ultramarathon's a year, and I run to cross-train and do the occaisonal 5k). Though now we've traded in the original for this yummy veggie version which powers us up for our races without weighing us down. It's traditional in its look and feel, but is elevated in taste and texture with sweetness (from the corn, peppers, and sweet potatoes) and a little crunch (from the cashews--a brilliant addition). We love it! And while I can't say it's entirely responsible for my 5k PR this morning, I'd definitely have to give it some credit. :)

 

Raise-the-Roof Sweet Potato-Vegetable Lasagna
Slightly adapted from the Engine 2 Diet 
Serves 12
1 onion, chopped
1 small head of garlic, all cloves chopped or pressed (or equivalent of pre-minced)
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 head broccoli, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
1 package firm tofu
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
2 jars pasta sauce
2 boxes (or less) whole grain lasagna noodles
16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
6 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
1 cup raw cashews, ground'

Preheat oven to 400. Saute the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a wok or nonstick pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until the onions are limp and the mushrooms give up their liquid. Remove them to a large bowl (using a slotted spoon). Reserve the mushroom liquid in the pan. Saute the broccoli and carrots for 5 minutes and add to the mushroom bowl. Saute the peppers and corn until just beginning to soften. Add them to the vegetable bowl. Drain the tofu by wrapping in paower towels. Break it up directly in the towel and mix into the vegetable bowl. Add spices to the vegetable bowl and combine.

To assemble:
Cover the bottom of either one 9x13 and one 9x9 pan or three 9x9 pans with a layer of sauce. Add a layer of nodles. Cover the noodles with sauce. This way the noodles cook in the oven, saving time and energy. Spread the entire vegetable mixture over the sauced noodles. Cover with a layer of noodles and another dressing of sauce. Spread the spinach over the sauce, then cover the spinach with the mashed sweet potatoes. Add another layer of sauce, the final layer of noodles, and a last topping of sauce. Cover the lasagna
with thinly sliced roma tomatoes.



 

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Our serving suggestions: Serve alongside some garlic bread and your favorite salad. And unless you're feeding a crowd, freeze the remaining pans of lasagna (before cooking) for an easy dinner later in the month. To cook then, just thaw lasagna over night, then bake as directed OR cook directly from the freezer at 400 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (covered with foil).

Minnesota Winter Chili

Chili has always been one of those foods that I'm just "okay" with. I like it, I'm just not crazy about it. That is, until we discovered THIS chili! Filled with 10 different vegetables and a blend of three beans, it's a fiber and protein powerhouse. It's also perfectly delicious without the traditional sour cream and cheese toppings (which to me is even more impressive than it's incredible health factor)! 
We like to pair it with some sweet homemade cornbread, then either freeze the leftovers or use them to top a baked potato for another amazing meal!



















Minnesota Winter Chili
From Eat & Run

Makes 8-10 servings

2 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely chopped onion
8-10 medium mushrooms, finely chopped
½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
½ cup finely chopped carrots
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp black pepper
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato puree
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 15 oz can red beans, drained
2 ½ cups water
½ cup dry bulgur wheat
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro, for garnish 

Add the oil to a large pot. Saute the vegetables and spices in the oil over medium to medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Add a few Tbsp of water if the veggies begin sticking to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and simmer over medium-low heat, covered, for 30 minutes. Stir and simmer for an additional 20-30 minutes until the veggies are cooked through. Season with salt and, if more spice is desired, hot sauce or cayenne pepper to taste. Serve, sprinkled with the cilantro.

Tasty Taco Salad

Cooking is kind of like a roller coaster ride for me. Some days I'm energized and ready to tackle the 89 recipes I've pinned on Pinterest, and other days I just want to clear out my fridge and get dinner on the table STAT. Well, today was one of those "other" days, but happily, it also resulted in a delicious dinner!

My favorite things about this salad (besides the fact that it's stinkin' delicious), is that it's almost entirely made from items we always have on hand AND it's super easy--just dice some veggies, open a couple cans of beans, warm a few things up, and you're ready to go! Travis and I kept pausing to say "Mmm, this is so good!" to each other while we were eating this tonight. Sometimes it's the simple things, right? :)

 

Tasty Taco Salad

Serves 3

 

About 4 cups chopped leafy greens, like lettuce and kale
2 different cans (one each) of your favorite beans, such as black, kidney, and pinto
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 red pepper, diced and warmed up in the microwave with the corn
1/2 bag frozen corn, cooked
1/2 avocado, diced

Tortilla chips, broken up (a handful per person)
1/3-1/2 cup (shelled) sunflower seeds (optional, but we love them and they're a great and inexpensive source of protein)
Salsa, for garnish
Ranch dressing (or a ranch and bbq sauce mix) (optional), for garnish

Serve buffet style by laying a bed of lettuce on your plate, then topping with desired amount of  the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Ole!

Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes & Waffles

Though I love the heartiness of the typical whole wheat pancake or waffle, sometimes I long for something a little fluffier, like the Krusteaz ones I ate as a kid. However, (being mindful) I don't want to sacrifice nutrition either. That's where this fantastic pancake recipe comes in. The soy yogurt makes these pancakes nice and pillowy inside, the lemon adds a light freshness (and amazing aroma), and the cornmeal gives it a great outer crispiness. And with batter that's a little thinner than your usual fare, it makes for excellent waffles as well!

Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes
Slightly adapted from The Engine 2 Diet
Serves 4

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups soy milk (we did 1/2 cup soymilk and 1 1/2 cups homemade rice milk)
1/2 cup soy yogurt (we used O'Soy strawberry)
Zest and juice from 1-2 lemons (we used 1)
1/8 cup flaxseed meal (optional, our addition)
2 Tbsp of sweetener, like sugar or agave nectar (optional, our addition; you can get around this by topping with bananas instead)
Blueberries and/or chopped strawberries (optional, our addition)

Mix the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring to remove lumps. Fold in berries. Cook in a nonstick skillet or griddle (or waffle maker) until crisp and golden brown. Top with maple syrup or agave nectar.

Our serving suggestion: Also try making into waffles, then topping with a blueberry or strawberry compote and a drizzle of agave nectar.

Mini Tostada Salads

Travis and I love Mexican food. A Mexican dish of some sort makes a weekly appearance on our menu. And when we want to get out of the enchilada rut that we sometimes find ourselves in and spice things up a little, we make a salad like this one.

These adorable little tostadas are fresh and delicious. They're also incredibly versatile, making them easy enough for a quick weeknight meal, yet fancy enough for a party or dinner with friends. We can't get enough of the crispiness of the tortilla, freshness of the lettuce and peppers, and sweetness of the mango and vinaigrette. Plus, they're pretty fun to eat too!


 

 

Mini Tostada Salads

Slightly adapted from Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites

Makes 6-8 mini salads

6-8 small flour tortillas

2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1 tomato, diced

1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp sliced green onions

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/2-1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup (or more) mango, diced

 

For the vinaigrette:

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 tsp honey (or agave nec

1/8 tsp salt

2-3 cracks of black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Dash of hot sauce

 

Preheat oven to 400. Warm tortillas in microwave for 20-30 seconds until soft and pliable (this is an important step, as it will be difficult to press your tortillas into a muffin tin if you don't). Quickly press each tortilla into the well of a muffin tin or jumbo muffin tin (the jumbo will be easier), carefully overlapping the sides if necessary and making the bottom as flat as possible. Bake 10-15 minutes, until edges are golden brown. 
 

While tortillas are baking, combine lettuce, tomato, corn, beans, green onions, cilantro, avocado, and mango. Set aside.

For the vinaigrette: Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously for 1 minute. Dressing can be prepared up to several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. 

When tortillas are done, remove from muffin tin and set on a wire rack to cool. Once cooled completely (it will only take a few minutes), toss salad and desired amount of dressing together (start with 1/4 of the dressing and add more to taste) and fill each tortilla cup. Then dig in! 

Jane's Jammin Burritos

Chimichangas are hands down my favorite item to order when I'm out at a Mexican restaurant. Crunchy on the outside, packed full of goodness on the inside, and always accompanied by the classic combo of rice, beans, and guacamole, I'm in indulgent Mexican food heaven. But, when I'm looking to go a little lighter, I choose the chimichangas leaner sister--the burrito (still with the classic sides of course :) ).

These amazing burrito's are everything I want from a burrito dinner, all rolled up in one sweet  little package. They're hearty and delicious and jam-packed full of SEVEN different vegetables, plus beans and rice to boot. Talk about fiber! What's even better is that this recipe makes a TON, so there's plenty to share or freeze for a quick lunch or dinner another day.

Jane's Jammin Burrito's

Slightly adapted from The Engine 2 Diet

Serves 10-12
 

1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 zucchini, chopped
2 yellow squash, chopped
1-2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped (we prefer two)
3 cups shredded napa cabbage (we omitted this)

1 can corn or equivalent of frozen corn (optional; this was our addition)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans fat-free vegetarian refried beans
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste; our addition)

1/8 tsp pepper (or more to taste; our addition)

1/2-3/4 tsp chili powder (or more to taste; our addition)
About 22 whole wheat flour tortillas
Salsa, for garnish
Guacamole, for garnish
Chopped tomatoes, for garnish (optional; our addition)

Preheat oven to 350. Saute the onion and garlic in a large nonstick skillet (lightly seasoned with cooking spray or water) on high for 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, and cabbage (if using), and corn to the skillet. Cook 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables are al dente (soft but firm) and the cabbage is wilting. Add the black beans, refried beans, and rice to the skillet. Stir the ingredients together on low heat until the mixture is thick and well combined. Season with the cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and chili powder.

Place a large spoonful of the veggie mixture onto the center of a tortilla and spread it from top to bottom along the center line. Fold the bottoms up, then the sides over using a bit of the veggie mixture as adhesive for the top flap (optional), and repeat with each tortilla. Rest the burritos next to each other and place them seam side down on a sprayed baking sheet (or in a freezer bag or container if saving for later). Bake for 20 minutes or until the wraps are crisp. Serve with salsa and guacamole on top.

Note: Frozen burritos can be warmed up in the microwave for a delicious quick lunch! Simply put them on a microwave safe plate and cook for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through, then top with salsa and guacamole.