Spicy Vegan Collard Green Wrap with Sriracha Chickpeas

If you haven't already gotten the picture, I am a HUGE fan of heat. I love spicy anything, and hot sauce is my jam, especially sriracha. So one day when I was making one of my veggie bowls, I decided why not sriracha chickpeas? They'd be perfect in a veggie, wrap, salad, basically anything and everything. So I made them, and they exceeded my wildest dreams. They add a kick to anything while keeping that delicious chickpea flavor. 

So yesterday comes, and I decided that I wanted to throw them in a collard green wrap. I knew from multiple veggies bowls that they are perfect with basically all roasted veggies, so roasted broccoli was a go. But I wanted something else to pull it all together, and naturally because I'm a spicy freak, the Hope Foods jalapeno cilantro hummus in the fridge jumped out at me. My mouth was a little nervous, but my mind was super excited!

So I did it, and my mouth was screaming for mercy at times, but it was FANTASTIC. It's really a spicy lover's dream. And if you don't think you can handle the heat, feel free to switch it out with any other flavor of hummus.

Here's what you'll need:

-4 large collard green leaves
-1 15 oz can of chickpeas, strained and rinsed
-4 tbsp sriracha
-1 large head of broccoli florets
-2 tbsp olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-8 tbsp Hope Foods jalapeno cilantro hummus 

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the broccoli florets in the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
2) Once preheated, throw the broccoli into the oven for about 15-20 minutes.
3) On the stove top mix together the chickpeas and sriracha over high heat. Let the chickpeas heat for about 3-5 minutes, mixing every so often. The high heat will cause the sriracha to become a coating on the chickpeas versus just a sauce that comes right off. Remove from heat once the chickpeas are coated.
4) In the center of each collard green leaf, spread 2 tbsp of the hummus. Split up the chickpeas and broccoli between each. You want all ingredients to stay about an inch or two from the edges so that the leaf can be easily wrapped.
5) Roll each leaf long ways tucking the ends in right before the final roll. 
6) Cut each wrap in half, and enjoy!

Let me know if you can handle the heat in the comments below! I'd love to hear from ya.

Parmesan Lemon Tilapia over Garlic Broccoli Noodles

For all of you broccoli lovers out there, how many of you feel wasteful when you just chop off the stems? The florets are the part everyone eats, so don't feel badly. We're pretty much taught to toss those stems. The florets are served on everything from pasta to pizzas, as side dishes, you name it. You might even wonder, can I even eat the stem? The answer is YES!!!!, and I will show you a great (and delicious) way to do so!

Broccoli stems pretty much taste like, well, broccoli. They have a similar taste the florets, maybe a little milder. So they are pretty much good with everything! I decided to toss them with some garlic and top with a little fish, and trust me the combination is spot on!

To spiralize the broccoli stem, you cut off the florets and try to smooth out the sides, cutting off any parts that jut out. Also cut off the bottom so that it is flat. Ideally you want it to look semi-close to a cylinder. If you see the picture below, it isn't perfect but still produces great broccoli noodles.

Once you have your broccoli noodles, you're ready to go!

Here's What You'll Need:

-3-4 broccoli stems, spiralized (amount depends on thickness and length, the thicker and/or longer, the fewer stems needed)
-1 tsp olive oil
-1 clove garlic
-6 mushrooms, sliced
-1 medium tomato, chopped
-red pepper flakes to taste
-2 tilapia fillets (about 6 oz each)
-1/2 lemon, juiced
-2 tbsp parmesan

Instructions:

1) Heat up the oil in a pan, and throw in the garlic, cooking for about a minute.
2) Add the broccoli noodles and let them cook for about 3 minutes alone.
3) Add in the mushrooms, tomato, and red pepper flakes and continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, coat the tilapia fillets with lemon juice and toss each in parmesan.
5) In a separate pan, cook the tilapia for about 5 minutes on each side over medium high heat.
6) Once cooked, split the broccoli noodles between two plates, top each with a piece of tilapia, and enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe for e-mail updates!

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Something about this (somewhat) cooler weather really made me start craving pear. To counter the sweetness, I thought it would go really well with a nice blue cheese. I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to eat the two together, and I went through all the options in my head (including literally smearing blue cheese on pear slices). At the end of this mental conversation with myself, I decided I could really use a refreshing salad. I knew I also had some vegan bacon, almonds, and sunflower seeds which could add a nice savory kick and crunch to the meal.

Here's what you'll need:

For the dressing:

-1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 tsp olive oil
-1/4 tsp garlic powder (or less)
-1/4 tsp dijon mustard
-1/4 tsp German mustard
-salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

-1/2 cup of baby kale
-1/2 cup of baby spinach (feel free to do a full cup of either or substitute with the leafy green of your choosing)
-2 pieces of vegan (or regular or turkey) bacon, cooked and chopped
-1/2 pear, sliced
-2 tbsp blue cheese
-1/2 tsp sunflower seeds
-2 tbsp almonds, chopped

Instructions:

1) In a bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients.
2) In a larger bowl, mix together the kale and spinach. Top with the pear slices, bacon, sunflower seeds, and blue cheese.
3) Drizzle on the dressing, and enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe!

BBQ Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt BBQ Ranch Dressing

With the summer season coming to a close, I found myself craving barbecue. I got a little sad for a second because barbecue food tends to be associated with grilling and summer. But then I caught myself; it doesn't have to be! 

This recipe kind of holds onto that summer feeling and taste, but it's prepared and cooked all inside. So when we eventually get to that first really chilly fall night, we can still have a little taste of summer right in the comfort of our own homes.

Here's what you'll need:

For the dressing:

-1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
-1/2 tsp dried parsley
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-1/2 tsp German mustard
1/2 tsp lemon juice
-1 tsp BBQ sauce
-1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
-salt and pepper to taste

For the rest of the meal:

-1/2 Japanese sweet potato, chopped into small cubes for (croutons)
-2 tsp olive oil
-1/2 avocado, diced
-1/2 tomato, diced
-1/8 red onion, chopped
-2 chicken breasts (4 oz chicken breast used for nutrition information)
-4 tbsp BBQ sauce
-4 cups baby kale
-salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2) in a bowl or bag mix the sweet potato with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange the potato on a baking sheet to form a single layer.
3) Slather the BBQ sauce onto both sides of the chicken breasts, and put them on a baking sheet.
4) Once the oven in preheated, you can put both baking sheets (or one if you put everything on one) into the oven. 
5) After 10 minutes, used a spatula to move the sweet potato pieces around (flipping them over the best you can). Also flip over the chicken breasts. Place all the food back into the oven and continue to cook.
6) After 5 more minutes (15 minutes total) remove the sweet potato pieces, and set them on a plate to cool.
7) After 5 more minutes (20 minutes total) remove the chicken.
8) While the food is cooking you can mix together all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl.
9) Split the kale between two bowls. Top each with tomato, onion, and avocado.
10) Add the sweet potato "croutons" to each bowl.
11) slice the chicken breasts into strips and top each bowl with one breast.
12) Drizzle half of the dressing onto each bowl, and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! This may be one of my favorite recipes to date! Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe for e-mail updates.

Spiralized Zucchini & Bell Pepper Asian Salad with Grilled Salmon

Sometimes you pick the ingredients, but sometimes they pick you. That was the case with this light lunch. I really wanted some grilled salmon. One thing led to another and I had Asian- marinated salmon and  spiralized zucchini and bell pepper in front of me. I threw the salmon on the grill, whipped up a simple Asian vinaigrette, and had myself a yummy salad.

Here's what you'll need:

For the marinade:
-1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-1 tbsp sesame oil
-1 tsp sriracha
-2 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce if you prefer)
-1/8 tsp ginger powder (if you have fresh ginger, feel free to use it instead)
-1/2 clove of garlic
-1/4 tsp sesame seeds

For the dressing:
-1 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
-1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-1/2 tsp sesame oil
-1/2 tsp light agave nectar
-1 clove of garlic
-sriracha to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp)

-1/2 lb of salmon (cut into 2 1/4 pieces)
-1 zucchini, spiralized
-1 red bell pepper, spiralized

Instructions:

1) Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl or plastic bag. Marinade the salmon in the bag or bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2) Once fully marinated, grill the salmon for about 4-5 minutes per side.
3) Mix together the dressing ingredients.
4) Separate the spiralized zucchini and pepper into two bowls (half of each per bowl). Split the dressing between the two bowls and mix.
6) Top each bowl with a piece of salmon, and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe!