Cherry Sorbet

I started making whole fruit sorbet a couple of years ago for when I want to gorge on something sweet without consuming a ton of fat or sugar, and I just recently discovered my favorite version -- cherry.  While I'm not a fan of most cherry candies because of their tendency to taste like medicine, I love actual sweet cherries, and that's pretty much what this sorbet tastes like because that's pretty much what it is.

Ingredients
1 16 oz. bag frozen dark sweet cherries (Whole Foods carries these.)
1 banana, frozen (I originally said "fresh or frozen," but having made this now with a fresh one, I realize I was wrong.)

Directions

1. Put the cherries and peeled banana in a blender.  If you let them thaw a few minutes, they won't be so much trouble to blend.

2. Blend cherries and banana until smooth.  Push down with a spoon or other pushing implement as necessary (not your hand!).  Serve immediately, or keep chilled in fridge for up to a couple of hours.  (Refreezing adversely affects both the texture and flavor, so I don't recommend making this too far in advance.)

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  It's supposed to be hot this week, so I have the conundrum of wanting to make food that doesn't require heating up the oven, but also needing to serve meals to a 1-yr-old without molars for serious chewing.  I think I managed to pick a few things that won't require the whole oven, but mostly I'm just avoiding soups because those don't sound appetizing in 90-degree weather.

Here is what I currently have that needs to be used up:  one bunch dinosaur (lacinato) kale, a whole bunch of green onions, one red bell pepper, one zucchini, some carrots, several tomatoes, about a cup of baby arugula, about a quarter pound of baby spinach, a few tortillas (some whole grain, some "home style") and four mini pita pockets.  Here is what I'm planning to make:

Engine 2 Sweet Potato Lasagna
I watched "Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue" on Netflix last week, and Rip Esselstyn's vegan lasagna recipe looked pretty good.  I think it bodes well that it's something they eat regularly at his firehouse.

Thai Green Curry and Brown Rice
We haven't had this in awhile, and it will use up the zucchini in the fridge.  It also contains enough green vegetables I don't have to make a green side dish, which is nice.

Tomato Walnut Basil Pasta
This is a new-to-me recipe I found on OhSheGlows.com, a vegan recipe site I now frequent.  If I remember correctly, we've all (Sameer, Simran, and me) liked every recipe we've tried from that site so far, including breakfast oats and a dessert.  This looked like a relatively easy spaghetti sort of dish that contains leafy greens but also looks like something Sim would willingly eat.

Hummus Paninis and Three Bean Salad
The panini recipe is based loosely on the paninis Rip Esselstyn made in that kitchen rescue documentary.  It will include the no-tahini hummus Simran likes so much, as well as any vegetables that seem appealing.  I'm thinking some of the fresh tomatoes we need to use up, the baby spinach and arugula currently in the fridge, maybe roasted red bell peppers if we already have some, and maybe even the mushrooms Rip recommends.  Sameer and Simran can always omit the mushrooms from theirs, though I am slowly training them both to eat mushrooms.  The three bean salad comes from OhSheGlows.com and seemed a decent, if bean-heavy, supplement to the sandwiches.

Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce
I made this enchiladas a couple weeks ago and they were really good.  I made the cream sauce less of a sauce and more of a whipped guacamole with just avocados, cilantro, and garlic salt, and we've been putting it on pretty much all our Tex-Mex meals.  This dish will also use up some of the green onions and red bell pepper currently in the fridge.

Veggie Summer Rolls and Green Banana Power Blended Salad
I'm not sure how well Simran is going to be able to chew up all the raw vegetables in the summer rolls, but they sound so good and so summery that I plan to cut them really finely and hope for the best.

Roasted Tomato Tortilla Pizza and Kale in Walnut Sauce
I've been wanting to experiment with vegan pizzas that don't contain disgusting fake cheese, and this one sounded pretty good.  It will also use up some more tomatoes (including any cherry tomatoes currently ripe on our cherry tomato plant) as well as leftover tortillas and/or pita pockets.

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  Here is what I have in the fridge to use up: a couple cups of steamed cubed sweet potato, 2 bunches kale, 4 avocados, and about half a pound of baby spinach.  Here is what I'm making:

Red Lentil and Squash Curry Stew
I've had only good luck so far with the recipes from OhSheGlows.com, so I'm trying another (or more) this week.  This will also allow me to use up some of my kale and the sweet potatoes (in place of the squash).

Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf and Wild Rice Pilaf and Green Banana Power Blended Salad
I'm making this mostly because I want something to go alongside wild rice pilaf, which Simran ate by the fat baby fistful the last time I made it despite its complete lack of any ingredients other than wild rice and water.  I'd also like to have a better meatless loaf recipe for the winter holidays.  The blended salad won't really go with this at all, but kale and walnut sauce seemed like too much walnut for one meal and those are pretty much the two leafy green vegetable dishes I have gotten Simran to eat in recent history.

Cheese & Veggie Quesadillas and Black Bean Salad

Vegan Po'Boy Sandwiches and Zucchini Cakes
Two fried sorts of things might not make for the best meal, but Sim liked the zucchini cakes the last time I made them, and they use essentially the same seasonings as the sandwich insides.  I figure I'll make fresh sandwich rolls for the po'boys and experiment with making the zucchini cakes vegan too (though I might just work around using eggs for now and try replacing the butter next time around).

Tofu Scramble and Green Banana Power Blended Salad and Carrot Spice Muffins
This seemed like a pleasant combo for brinner.  We haven't had tofu scramble in awhile, and I might even be able to include some homemade seitan that's currently taking up space in my freezer now that Simran has more than two teeth.  I'll just grind it in the food processor and get some herbs de provence to season it with.  The blended salad is one of my favorite things nowadays (plus Sim actually eats a few bites most times I make it), and the carrot muffins are a new-to-me vegan recipe I think we'll all enjoy.

Pita Pizzas and Green Banana Power Blended Salad
This is quick and easy and will use up the last of the feta in the fridge.

Arugula-Tomato-Green Onion Sandwiches and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
Simran generally likes these sandwiches, so I think this will go okay and be pretty simple to make.

Meal Planning

I'm overdue for weekly meal planning.  Here is what I'm making:

Vegetarian Korma
Didn't get around to making this last week, but I already have cauliflower, so I need to make it soon.

Reubens and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
I have Swiss cheese leftover from last time I made Reubens, as well as the Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut, so this will be an easy and delicious one.

Spaghetti with Marinara and Kale in Walnut Sauce and Winter Squash Puree
I have one bunch of kale left to use up that I didn't get around to cooking last week, and hopefully Sim will still eat spaghetti.  She seems to avoid most foods that aren't fruit lately.

Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheeze and Kale in Walnut Sauce
This is a recipe I found on OhSheGlows.com that is vegan, doesn't involve weird-tasting soy cheese or similar (I did not enjoy my first experience with soy cheese last week), and will use up a box of the sundry macaroni noodles currently taking up space in my pantry.

Make-Your-Own Vegan Burritos and Green Banana Power Blended Salad and Cilantro Lime Rice
This is an easy one that will use up the remaining whole grain tortillas in the fridge. 

Black Bean Burgers and Green Banana Power Blended Salad
I already have these burgers in the freezer, so this seems like an easy one.  I'm honestly not sure I want to make the blended salad this many times in one week -- I don't want Simran to get sick of it -- so this might end up being replaced by a vegetable-laden soup of some nature. 

Pita Pizzas and Green Banana Power Blended Salad
I'm running out of ideas and need to go to the store pretty early tomorrow, so I'm caving and buying feta so we can make pita pizzas.  They're quick and easy and Simran will eat them.

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  I'm trying a few new recipes this week and trying to avoid using dairy I don't already own.  Here is what is currently in the fridge that needs to be used up:  a couple cups of chopped carrots, a zucchini, and about a cup and a half of creme fraiche (I managed to use up the exact amount of eggs and buttermilk leftover from the scrambled eggs to make a double batch of pancakes -- I'm proud of that).  Here is what I'm making this week:

Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce
This is a new-to-me recipe from OhSheGlows.com.  It sounded good, and it's vegan and mostly just vegetables and whole grains.

Thai Green Curry
We haven't had this dish in awhile, and it's a nice, easy, vegan one with lots of vegetables in it.  It will use up part of that zucchini in my fridge, as well as the package of cubed tofu I have in there.

Chik'n Tomato Pesto Pizza and Kale in Walnut Sauce
This is a really tasty, easy pizza that I apparently haven't made recently enough for it to be on the site yet.  It normally features fontina cheese, but I want to use up some of the mozzarella already in my fridge, so I'll be using that instead.  It will also use up the rest of the jar of pesto in the fridge and the whole wheat pizza dough in the freezer.

Pasta Primavera with Cream Sauce
I'm just making this recipe up in order to use up that leftover creme fraiche in the fridge.  I'll use whole wheat rotini (easier for Simran to chew than penne, and doesn't have to be cut up like spaghetti), some of the peas and maybe asparagus currently in my freezer, and maybe some arugula and the rest of the zucchini currently in the fridge.  Some onion, garlic, any cherry tomatoes that are ripe on the cherry tomato plant, and any fresh basil leftover from the Thai green curry too.  Based on browsing the internet, I will make the sauce from the creme fraiche, grated Parmesan already in my fridge, and some fresh ground pepper and salt to taste.  If it doesn't taste like much, I can always add some of the roasted garlic marinara currently in the fridge and make it a tomato cream sauce.

Black Beans & Rice
This is a very healthy, surprisingly good Esselstyn recipe that will use up any arugula leftover after the pasta primavera.

Vegetarian Korma
This is another new-to-me recipe, this time from MyFancyPantry.com.  Indian food is still largely one of those things I don't know how to cook -- especially the sauces.  This sounded like a tasty, mostly very healthy and easy-to-make-vegan dish (though I do plan on using more ghee than oil this first time).  There is a lot of prep work involved though in making the "curry base," and I expect to make it at least a day in advance to ensure I actually finish cooking the meal by dinnertime.  Simran and I may need to make a trip to the local Indian grocery for some of the spices too, depending on whether dried fenugreek leaves and seeds are carried at Meijer.

Pasta Salad and Green Banana Power Blended Salad
The pasta salad will use up any chik'n strips leftover from the pesto pizza, as well as some of the carrots chopped up in the fridge.  This is a really old, simple recipe based on the pasta salad my mother used to make, but I apparently haven't posted it yet either.  It can easily be made vegan, depending on what vinaigrette you use.

Vegetarian Korma

I found this recipe on MyFancyPantry.com.  I love creamy Indian sauces, but I'm not particularly good at making them, so I thought I'd give a new recipe a try.  I plan to make this without the heavy cream and with tofu instead of paneer, but with the ghee the first time around -- and then see about making it vegan at a later date. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp. ghee (substitute with oil if making vegan)
• 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. turmeric- divided
• chili powder, to taste (Korma is supposed to be a mild dish)
• 2 tsp. garam masala
• 1 tbsp. cumin powder
• 1 medium potato- diced into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1/2 c. carrots- sliced
• 1/2 c. broccoli
• 1 c. cauliflower
• 1 c. green beans
• 1 c. mushrooms
• 1/2 c. paneer- diced (substitute tofu if making vegan)
• 1 tbsp fenugreek leaves (fresh or dried)
• 1/2 c. cashew nuts- plus more for garnish
• 1 c. light coconut milk
• 3 c. curry base (Recipe Here)
• 2 heaping tbsp. Coconut  (preferably unsweetened)
• 1 c. water–added 1/2 c. at a time
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp. half & half- to finish (leave this out if making vegan)
• small handful golden raisins- to garnish
• coriander (cilantro) leaves- chopped- to garnish

Directions

• Prepare all vegetables, thaw your curry base, get the blender ready and get ready to make some korma!
• In a large pan, heat 1/2 tbsp of oil and 1/2 tbsp ghee (if using) over med-high heat.  Once the oil gets hot, add 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder, a little chili powder, 2 tsp. garam masala, and 1 tbsp cumin powder.  Stir everything together until it begins to make a paste and the spices are cooked. Add the fenugreek leaves.
• Add the potatoes.  Stir-fry until the potatoes begin to get a little brown—they don’t need to cook all the way through, yet.
• Add all other vegetables and paneer (I usually add them straight from the freezer!) and stir-fry for about 3 minutes.  Add about 1 tsp. salt. Turn off the heat.
• Meanwhile—grab your blender.  Toss in 1/2 cup cashew nuts, 2 tbsp coconut and 1/2 c. water.  Blend until everything looks nice and smooth.
• To the blender, add 1 c. light coconut milk, 3c. curry base and 1 tsp. turmeric powder.  Blend until your gravy looks chunk-free and delicious! Taste it…if you feel it needs more coconut flavor, add a little more coconut and blend again.
• Pour the gravy into the pan with the vegetables.  Add 1/2 c. water into the empty blender and swish it around to loosen up whatever gravy was left behind.  Dump this in the pan too.  Turn the heat to about medium and let the curry simmer until the vegetables are cooked.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Once the vegetables are cooked–tender, but not mushy–toss in 2 tbsp. chopped cashew nuts and a small handful of golden raisins.  Finish with 2 tbsp. half and half (if using)-stir to combine. Garnish with chopped coriander.
• Serve with rice or rotis…and enjoy!

Healthy Chocolate Chia Pudding

I found this recipe on OhSheGlows.com.  I've never used chia seeds before, but they sound fascinating.

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/4 cup to 1 & 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, as needed to thin out
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp carob flour/powder
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• Shaved chocolate for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients (starting with 1 & 1/4 cup almond milk) until the clumps are gone. Place in fridge for 1-2 hours, until thick or overnight. Stir well, add more milk if desired to achieve the thickness you desire, and serve chilled. Alternatively you can heat in the microwave and serve it warm. It’s nice with a spoonful of coconut cream mixed in or a mashed banana too.

Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

I recently found a food blog called OhSheGlows.com, which features tons of beautiful, healthy vegan dishes (even DIY almond milk and oat milk -- that's when I was really impressed) that follow pretty much exactly the food guidelines I want to achieve (whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nothing artificial, no added sugars -- basically everything the Fuhrman book says).  I haven't made any of them yet, but the website is beautiful and a lot of the dishes sound really good, so I have high hopes of finding some tasty new meals on there.  As I'm trying to make at least one new vegan dish each week now, the Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce sounded like something good to try. 

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped (~2 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup sweet potato, chopped (or zucchini)
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 handfuls spinach, chopped
• 1 can black beans (~2 cups), drained and rinsed (or about 1/2 cup dry beans, cooked)
• Enchilada sauce or Pasta sauce (about 2.5 cups)* see note (I plan to use red chile enchilada sauce, light on the chili powder for Simran's sake)
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice, to taste
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder, or to taste
• 4 whole grain tortilla wraps (I used Food for Life Ezekiel)
• Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce, to pour on top (recipe below)
• Green onion & chopped cilantro, to garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grab a baking dish large enough for 4 enchiladas. Pre-cook the chopped sweet potato, by simmering it in a small pot of water for about 5-10 minutes until just tender. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet or pot, add 1 tbsp oil and bring to medium to low heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until translucent. Add in garlic and reduce heat to low and cook for a couple more minutes. Now add the chopped pepper, pre-cooked sweet potato, drained black beans, and chopped spinach. Cook for about 5-7 more minutes on medium-low heat.

3. Now add in your enchilada or pasta sauce. Stir well, and add in your seasonings: nutritional yeast (optional), cumin, fresh lime juice, salt, garlic powder, chili powder- all to taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir well.

4. Scoop about 3/4-1 cup of the mixture onto the bottom of your casserole dish and spread out in a thin layer. Scoop about 1/2-3/4 cup of the mixture onto each tortilla and wrap, placing the fold down on the casserole dish. Repeat for the remaining 3 tortillas and leave a bit of filling left to spread over the top. Sprinkle with vegan cheese if preferred.

5. Bake tortillas at 350F for 18-20 minutes. Meanwhile, make your Cilantro cream sauce (see below). When enchiladas are cooked, remove from oven and pour the sauce over top. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onion. Serve immediately. Makes 4 enchiladas.

Note: Depending on what kind of sauce you use, you will have to adjust the seasonings to taste. If you use pasta sauce, you will likely need more seasonings to achieve the taste desired.

Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/4 cup avocado flesh
• 2 tbsp water, or more as needed to thin out
• 2-3 tbsp lime juice, to taste
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp kosher salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• Black pepper, to taste
• Red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a food processor, process the avocado flesh and water until creamy. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth and well blended. Use immediately for best results.