Buffalo Quinoa

This is one of my favorite healthy meals that really feels like it’s not. Hot sauce creates the impression that the food is indulgent, but sneaky- you’re eating QUINOA AND BROCCOLI! It’s perfect to hit your Super Bowl junk food craving this weekend! I’ve been making this for years and this is a 100% #shedapproved variation. It only takes 20 minutes to make AND it’s #vegan if you skip the cheese! Feel free to improvise with adding any other veggies you love! I will warn you, this dish does pack some heat, so if you are sensitive to spice, you may want to skip this one. Enjoy! -AHS

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Buffalo Quinoa

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa⠀

• 2 cups water⠀

• 1/4 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce (original - NOT the wing sauce - it’s not Shed approved)⠀

• 1/2 large yellow onion, sliced⠀

• 2 tbsp olive oil (plus a drizzle)⠀

• Salt to taste⠀

• 2 cups frozen broccoli ⠀

• Optional: sprinkle of feta or blue cheese (month 1 only)

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Instructions

In a medium size pot, add quinoa and water. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. ⠀
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Meanwhile, add olive oil to a small pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until they are nicely browned. Add salt to taste. ⠀

Steam broccoli in the microwave. You could use steamer bags or I just put the florets in a bowl with a little bit of water and microwave for 4 minutes. Be sure to drain any excess water.

When quinoa is ready add Frank’s and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix in onions, broccoli, and optional feta/blue cheese. Serve warm. ⠀
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Rainbow Buddha Bowl

Coming 'atcha today is another teaser for the Shed cookbook!! Guys, seriously, I'm too excited to share it with you soon! Another tasty #plantbased veggie, fiber-heavy, meal. All of those things don't typically mean delicious, but I swear guys, this buddha bowl is LIT. I'll let the recipe and photo speak for itself! Xx - AHS

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Rainbow Buddha Bowl

Serves 3 

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

• 1 cup water

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 1⁄2 yellow onion, diced

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced

• 2 bell peppers, sliced (for some color!)

• 1 (12 oz) bag broccoli florets (steam-able in bag preferable)

• 1 1⁄2 tbsp liquid aminos

• 2 tbsp organic almond butter

• Pepper

Instructions

Place quinoa and water in a small pan over high heat. Once it boils, turn heat down and simmer until water is absorbed, approximately 10 minutes. Set aside.

In a wok (or large frying pan) heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots and optional bell peppers. Stir frequently until onion
is translucent, 3-5 minutes. Steam broccoli in microwave for about 3 minutes.*

Add broccoli and quinoa to wok, stir. Add liquid aminos and almond butter, mixing thoroughly so everything is coated. You can add a little bit more liquid aminos, if necessary. Pepper to taste. Serve warm.

*Alternatively, you can steam the broccoli in the pan, but takes longer. Add broccoli to the pan with the other vegetables, and place a lid on top. Check frequently until broccoli is bright green. The texture may be a bit different, but equally yummy.

Creamy Cashew Cheese Sauce and Vegan Mac & Cheese

News update! Today, we went live with the "Shed Approved" page of the website. It is your go to resource for things you may need during the Shed program. Go check it out! I will update it occasionally with new finds, too. Also, I decided to test out putting the recipes at the top of the post to make it easier to get to. Babble underneath will give you some other ideas on how to use the sauce! :) Let me know what you think of the new "shop" and format! xo

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Creamy Cashew Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups roasted cashews (I soaked for about 20 minutes, but my food processor is strong. If you are using a blender that may not have strength, soak for a couple hours)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup of water (use until you reach your desired consistency)

Instructions

Blend ingredients in food processor or blender! Use in the following recipe and store excess in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

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Vegan Mac & "Cheese"

(SErves 4)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• Salt 
• 2 cups spinach
• 12 oz sedanini lentil pasta (from Trader Joe's)
• Cashew cheese sauce above (use enough to cover pasta)

Instructions

In a medium pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and salt (coat in a layer). Lower heat to medium-low and stir onions occasionally, making sure that they don't stick to the pan (add more oil, if necessary). Continue until onions are golden brown (this can take as long as 40 minutes), salting occasionally.  Add spinach to onions, coat with oil from the pan and stir until wilted.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain, and put back into pot. Add cashew sauce, mix well. Serve in bowls with onions and spinach mixture. NOMS. 

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As I mentioned in last week's post the blizzard we had in Chicago really put me in a cooking frenzy.  And severe winter weather means comfort food. I got very excited to try my hand at making cashew "cheese" sauce to make some healthy mac and cheese!  I've seen recipes with butternut squash, but I wanted to keep this as simple as possible. It's a really versatile sauce. You can serve it over: 

• Any gluten-free pasta - chickpea, brown rice, sedanini, etc. 
• Steamed cauliflower - mix the sauce with Frank's hot sauce, it's to die for!
• Chicken with marinara sauce- like a healthy chicken parm! 

Basically, this is an awesome sub for anything you would want cheesy goodness. I would love to hear if you decide to try it! Cheers to "cheese"! -AHS

Cashew sauce in all it's glory. 

I clearly did not listen to my own advice, and had lots of onion stick to the pan. 

Sweet Potato Turkey Bowl

Hey y'all! How have you been doing on your daily gratitudes? I would love to here all that you are thankful for! Remember to tag me and use the #shedgratitudechallenge if you decide to post!

Today I wanted to share the recipe for one of my fave #shedrecipes, the Sweet Potato Turkey Bowl. You may have noticed, I am obsessed with sweet potatoes and root vegetables in general. They are just so nourishing and satisfying. This week has been particularly crazy with a very sick family member, so it is nice to fall back on the quick and easy "tried and trues" when chaos ensues. (I didn't mean to make that rhyme, I swear.) 

I keep wanting to use the word "nourish" over and over - because this bowl is the epitome of nourishment. It defines "eating the rainbow": there are so many phytonutrients from the sweet potato, spinach, bell peppers, and onions. The turkey packs in your protein and keeps you full for longer! Honestly, this is the type of meal you could eat every day and it would keep you perfectly balanced. It is an awesome soulful, healthy, eating decision if there ever was one! Nourishing your body & soul! #winning

...And did I mention it's flexible? Top this dish off with a fried egg and make it a breakfast!  Or switch up the texture with some nutrient dense kale! Play around and have fun with it, it lends itself so easily for fun swaps! 

Anyways, I hope you enjoy it! Let me know in the comments if you give it a try! And apologies for all of my cheese this post- couldn't even contain myself!  :D

xx

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sweet potato turkey bowl

(serves 1)

Ingredients

• 1½ tsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 large sweet potato, chopped into about 1-2 inch pieces

• 1/2 cup bell peppers, diced

• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

• ½ lb ground turkey

• ½ tsp dried rosemary

• ½ tsp dried thyme

• 1 large handful fresh spinach (don't skimp! It all wilts in beautifully!)

• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a skillet, sauté oil and garlic over medium heat for 1 minute. Add in chopped sweet potato and stir. After 4-5 minutes, add in peppers and onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in ground turkey, rosemary and thyme. Break up turkey with your spatula or spoon. Let cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Mix in fresh spinach, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Remove skillet from heat and serve hot. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Stew

A couple weeks ago I was completely overwhelmed with things to do. I had so much work to do, I was cleaning like a fiend for house guests, I had too many social things on the docket in a very short amount of time, and my husband was out of town for work. 

...And I had committed to cooking for our house guests who have eating restrictions. (WHAT WAS I THINKING?!)

It was time to whip up the old trusty crock pot. 

I love slow cookers because once you set them, you forget them, and your house smells amazing for hours. It is pretty awesome. I am also absolutely awful at making up recipes for slow cookers. I truly just don't get how to get the right flavors to mix properly when they are cooking slowly for hours. It is a very clear gap in my culinary experience. It's on my to do list. 

I turned to Whole Foods for a perfect recipe for the occasion. This slow cooker chicken apple stew was super satisfying, and my dinner guests loved it. They talked about it all weekend. <3

This dish felt perfect on a chilly autumn evening! The Whole Foods recipe is below, but I made some minor tweaks and notes: 

•  I had purple sweet potatoes, and I swapped one out for one of the normal sweet potatoes.
• Another confession is I am actually notoriously bad at following recipes. I chopped the apples a bit too small, which made it look a bit mushier than I would've liked.  
• The original recipe indicated it serves 6-8. I would say it comfortably served 4 with everyone wanting more! (Also, those were big bowls, not the baby one shown! Everyone ate before I took the pics :) ) 

I think this recipe is a knockout. Especially if you want something gluten and dairy-free! I will definitely be making this again soon! 

Slow cooker chicken apple Stew

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3 firm, sweet baking apples, such as Braeburn or Gala, peeled and cut into 6 wedges each
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (10 ounces each), cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
• 2 tablespoons sliced fresh sage leaves
• 1 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Cut chicken thighs in half. Add chicken, fennel seeds and all remaining ingredients to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until chicken and apples are very tender, 6 to 7 hours on low or 3 to 3 1/2 hours on high.

Because this came from WF, I have nutritional info: 

Per Serving: 300 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 165mg cholesterol, 610mgsodium, 19g carbohydrates, (4 g dietary fiber, 11g sugar), 39g protein.

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup

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Please enjoy my first foray into the movie making world. Lol, it's just my Instagram story turned feature film- and it's less than a minute! Note: I mention quinoa stuffed acorn squash - saving that one for another day! Apologies for poor lighting- I finally got a food light for evening meals!

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This soup is 5 (store bought) ingredients and is perfection. Great for cool end of summer evenings, and maybe one of the easiest recipes EVER. So fast. So easy. It's perfect for a weeknight. 

It is approved for both months of the program, but don't use any cheese garnish if you are in month 2. I promise, this soup is so flavorful- you will barely notice it! 

Ingredients

• I used 3 small, 4 large heirloom, 2 medium tomatoes …  on average 9-10 med sized tomatoes. Use heirlooms if you can for amazing flavor. 
• 6-8 (depending on size) garlic cloves, peeled and whole
• 1 small yellow or sweet onion, quartered 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4-6 basil leaves
• salt and pepper
• Option: sprinkle of parmesan cheese, grated
• Option: try with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and cut tomatoes, placing in a shallow baking dish cut side down. Add onion pieces, garlic, and basil to the pan. Drizzle vegetables in the pan with olive oil (and optionally with balsamic vinegar.) Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes.

Place roasted vegetables (tongs are great for this) in food processor bowl or blender. Pulse until you reach desired consistency. I made mine thicker, and it felt very hearty! An immersion blender also works very well. 

The soup will be hot without reheating necessary. Serve garnished with cheese if desired.

Bol Provincial

Last night, doing my favorite "make up a recipe that fits my CSA box ingredients" I started to make what I thought was going to be a great vegetarian soup. What I ended up with was ANOTHER buddha bowl! (If you follow my instagram, you will find that I have a problem.) I can't break the addiction even when I try! But I'm so glad because it is so much more interesting than the other BBowls I have been making as of late- AND IT'S VEGAN! So many wins. 

(I got a little antsy, the quinoa mayyyy not be totally cooked...not the best for digestion. Whoops :) 

Came through in the clutch! 

I don't typically do several grains- but I have been out of my bulk grains since we were in Colorado last week and had this Near East brand quinoa blend that my boo had accidentally bought. It's really easy and the rice is pre-cooked, so you don't have to wait forever for the rice to be ready. {Side note, if you buy the blend, don't use the spice blend. It has soy and gluten in the spices (why?) - and it will mess up this recipe's flavor. If you don't use the blend, I would go straight quinoa or minute rice in the same quantity.}

Long story short, I ended up making these amazing caramelized onions, and I knew that broth would ruin their perfected sweet and savory flavor. Solution: I skipped broth and made a bowl instead. Ah comme ci comme ça. The beans make this dish hearty and filling - and hello protein! I was able to use the herbs from my garden which gave the bowl freshness and gave me so much joy! It has this simple, rustic flavor that made me feel like I was not in the city of Chicago, but in the French countryside sipping red wine and overlooking fields of lavender, thus the name. 

Without further ado, recipe below. Bon appetit!  

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Bol Provincial

serves 2

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 3 onions (I used 1 sweet and 2 red), chopped
• 5 small carrots, sliced
• 1/3 cups dry quinoa and brown rice
• 1 3/4 cups water
• Sprinkle of Herbs de Provence 
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary 
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed 
• 8 large basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium heat, add onions and carrots. Stir occasionally until onions are browned. Add herbs de Provence (use enough to cover the carrots and onions, rosemary and balsamic. Let simmer until qrains are finished cooking. 

While onions and carrots are cooking, bring quinoa rice mixture to a boil. Boil gently for 19-22 minutes until water is absorbed. 

Add cooked grains to the the large pot, mix together. Add beans and basil leaves and mix again. Serve warm!