Simple Roasted Veggies with Dijon Vinaigrette

After seeing Chef Tal Ronnen in action last Friday cooking up some roasted veggies live in front of me and then hitting up the farmers market Sunday morning, I had a major craving for the flavor of this dish.  My boys and I had this for dinner along with some simple steamed brown rice (yes, I know...potatoes and rice?  Apparently we were carb loading!).  My hubby ate half of the baking sheet full and raved about it. 

The best part was my 8-year old pretty much made this whole recipe by himself!  He chopped the veggies (I was cringing with every chop...watch out for those fingers), tossed everything with olive oil and whisked together the sauce.  It was nice to see him take such pride in his work once it was complete.

Roasted Veggies With Dijon Vinaigrette

makes about 8 servings

6-8 medium sized potatoes, cut into 1" chunks

2 Tb. extra-virgin olive oil + more for the sauce (see below)

3/4 tsp. sea salt + more for the sauce

1/2 large yellow onion, cut into 1" pieces

5 small or 4 medium sized zucchini, cut into 1" chunks

1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed & then cut into thirds

Dijon Vinaigrette

1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 C. balsamic vinegar

2 Tb. Dijon mustard

1 Tb. agave nectar

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.

Drizzle the potatoes with the 1 Tb. of the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. of the salt.  Use your hands to gently toss, making sure all the potatoes are nicely coated.  Place potatoes evenly on a rimmed baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with parchment paper.  Roast in the oven for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.  (The potatoes take a bit longer to cook which is why they go in first.)

Place the onion, zucchini and asparagus in a medium sized bowl and drizzle with remaining 1 Tb. of olive oil and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt.  Use your hands again to coat everything well and set aside until the 15 minutes for the potatoes are up.

Once the potatoes have roasted for 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and add the onions, zucchini and asparagus.  Toss everything around gently until you've formed an even layer.  Place it back into the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, stirring halfway through so all sides get nice and crispy.

To Prepare the Vinaigrette:

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, agave nectar, salt and pepper until well incorporated.  

Check the vegetables again and if they are brown and crispy, remove them from the oven.  

If they aren't, bake another 10 minutes until they brown up.  

Once you've removed them from the oven, pour the vinaigrette evenly over the top.  Use tongs to gently coat everything and let it sit in the hot baking sheet for about 5 minutes before serving.  

Serve warm.

This is great heated up the next day for lunch too!

I often have lil' helpers surrounding me when I set up the shoot.  

Do you like the added accessory?  It really adds a lot to the photo...

My 8-year old chef couldn't wait to try his creation!

I made the super refreshing Kale & Banana Smoothie recipe from Chef Jeremy Bringardner...sooo yummy!  And I managed to do it without a VitaMix.  My boys loved it too.  More to come on that later.

VEGGIE POWER!

Chef Tal Ronnen & LYFE Kitchen

Call me a weirdo but I get so excited by vegetables!  Anytime someone talks about vegan foods being offered to the mainstream my heart goes a-pit-a-pat!  I LOVED being a part of these scrumptious plant-based dishes.  

Chef Tal Ronnen cooking up some goodies!

LYFE Kitchen (Love Your Food Everyday) just launched their first ever seasonal menu, featuring new spring menu items using locally sourced ingredients.  I was privileged enough to be able to attend this exciting event and couldn't wait to share it with you all!  LYFE Kitchen is a wonderful restaurant in Palo Alto, CA which is unique in that their menu offers the freshest, healthiest foods prepared with the upmost of care.  They're into eco-friendly practices and community building.

This restaurant stands apart from the rest in that they're not only into giving customers healthy menu options but LYFE is into sustainability by using local farmers and growers to supply their kitchen.  Their menu changes as the seasons change, giving customers the freshest, most nutritious options.

And if that weren't enough, they've acquired top notch chefs like Tal Ronnen, (maybe you've seen him on Oprah during her 21-day vegan stint, or on the Ellen Show), Art Smith and Jeremy Bringardner.  These highly talented chefs can do wonders transforming the freshest of produce into delicious meals.  

CEO Mike Roberts along with the other LYFE visionaries and the local Northern California growers.

The Veggie Kids Mama with Chef Tal Ronnen

Chef Jeremy Bringardner creating his Kale-Banana Smoothie.  I would've taken a picture of the finished product but I sucked it down too fast!  It had a bright flavor and was super refreshing.  It also reminded me I need to just bite the bullet and invest in a VitaMix already!!

(Want the recipe?  Visit Facebook/LYFEKitchen)

Beets & Black Rice Salad 

(This was full of flavor and a great change from the traditional salad.  I love that you could have this on it's own as a meal!)  For the recipe, visit Facebook/LYFEKitchen

Roasted Vegetable dish with capers, parsnips, fingerling potatoes and asparagus.  This side dish would satisfy a meat-eater for sure!  I like that it's flavored without the use of butter or a lot of sodium.

Edamame Hummus

Surrounded by french breakfast radishes, cucumbers, flatbread crisps (so good in itself!) and cherry tomatoes.  I loved the slight green tinge of the hummus from the addition of edamame!

Such beautiful produce brought in from local growers! You can't get much fresher than that.

If you're ever in the San Francisco Bay Area I urge you to stop by LYFE Kitchen.  You'll be blown away at the unique flavors and fresh ingredients.  The restaurant sits in the heart of Silicon Valley in Palo Alto and used to be frequented by the late Steve Jobs of Apple.  

Check out their VEGAN MENU here.

They have a number of non-vegan options as well that I've heard are delicious.  (I originally brought my non-veg hubby here and he was shocked at how much he liked the food...he's your typical steak-and-potatoes kind of man so if he liked it, you can imagine the compliment!)

Thanks again to LYFE Kitchen and Chef Tal Ronnen for the great experience!

I'm filled with VEGGIE POWER!

Crispy Rice Treats (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

There's nothing like the old school Rice Krispy Treats I remember from back in the day.  But I don't want to start that tradition with my own kids since they're loaded with sugar and gelatin.  This healthier spin-off from the classic treat is made from brown rice cereal (hello fiber!) and vegan marshmallows.  I even added peanut butter for some extra protein.

Crispy Rice Treats

 (Vegan & GF)

yields 12 large pieces

3 Tb. Earth Balance butter 

1 (10 oz.) package vegan marshmallows (I used Dandies, or try SweetandSara)

6 C. Brown Rice Crisps, Gluten-Free (I used Barbara's)

1/2 C. vegan chocolate chips

2 Tb. peanut butter*

Melt the butter, marshmallows and peanut butter over low heat in a large sauce pan.  Stir until completely melted, then remove from heat.

Pour in the cereal and stir until everything is well coated.  

Sprinkle in the chocolate chips last so they don't melt.  

Spray a 13" x 9" x 2" pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment or waxed paper.  

Evenly press the cereal mixture into the pan.  You may need to add a bit of Earth Balance butter to the spatula to prevent sticking as you press, or try using waxed paper.  

Let cool either on the counter or in the 'fridge if you're trying to speed it up!  Cut into even squares or try using cookie cutters to cut out cute little shapes.  You can even drizzle melted chocolate over these to get fancy!

*The peanut butter is optional.  I added it for an extra protein boost but feel free to omit it altogether or replace it with another nut or seed butter.

TIP:  I love adding nutritional boosts whenever possible and these Crispy Rice Treats are a great way to do that.  Try adding a few sprinkles of hemp seeds, ground flax seeds or chia seeds while mixing.  The kids will never know!

Pizza Pockets

Ever had those little Totino's Pizza Rolls?  Yeah, me too...but not since college days.  Just in case you're wondering, those little processed pockets contain a huge amount of fat (nearly half!) including trans fat.  As a more nutritious alternative to this kid-favorite junk food item, I decided to create a Veggie Kids-friendly version.  

I bought a bag of pre-made pizza dough from Whole Foods (the kind that's not yet baked and comes in a plastic bag) and enlisted the help of my kids.  We had too much fun getting messy in the kitchen rolling out the dough, cutting circles, adding filling and pinching the little pockets closed.  Yes, there was flour everywhere but it was worth the mess!  I used the leftover dough as our dessert which you'll see below.  This may look complicated but really it can't get much easier!

Both of these recipes are a great for packing in lunches, for a special after school snack idea or to add to a fun kid-frienly party menu!

Pizza Pockets

makes about 14 pockets

1 bag pre-made vegan pizza dough*

1 Tb. olive oil 

1/4 C. yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 links vegan sausage (I used Lightlife), chopped

1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 C. Daiya mozarella style shreds

2 tsp. Earth Balance butter, melted, for glaze

Unwrap the pizza dough and let sit on floured surface for 15-20 minutes at room temperature.  

Preheat the oven to 375F.

In the meantime, heat oil over medium heat in sauté pan.  Add in onions and cook for 3 minutes, then add garlic, vegan sausage and tomato sauce.  Stir and turn off heat.

Once the dough is ready, use a floured rolling pin to roll it out until it's about 1/4" in thickness.  

Using the rim of a cup or cookie/biscuit cutter that's about 4" in diameter, start cutting out as many circles as you can fit.  Re-roll the scraps of dough to cut out more circles.

Place the circles on a prepared baking sheet, sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with parchment paper.  Be sure to space them out at least 1" apart.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the tomato sauce filling onto half of each circle, being sure to leave a 1/2" margin around it.  Sprinkle on shredded vegan cheese.

Fold the other half of the dough on top of the half with the filling and press the edges together carefully to create a seal.  You may need to dip your finger tips in flour to prevent sticking.  (My kids LOVED helping with this part!)  Now press the edges with a fork and prick the tops one or two times gently.  

Brush the tops of the pockets with melted vegan butter (this will help with that nice golden color).

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Wait until they're cooled before handling and biting into as the tomato sauce can be hot, especially for little ones.  

HINT: These make a great lunchbox idea too!

*I've found pre-made pizza dough in several of the grocery stores I shop at which contain minimal ingredients.  Just be sure to check for yourself to make sure it's not only vegan, but made with pure ingredients.  

We used the rim of a cup to cut out the circles, about 4" in diameter.  

Use a round cookie or biscuit cutter if you have one.

Use a fork to press the edges together highly, then prick the tops to allow the steam to escape.

My 3-year old was counting these before he dug in.

I'm happy to say these passed my picky, carnivorous husband's test!  I think he ate 6 of 'em.

Cinnamon & Sugar Pizzas

Use the same procedure as above but instead of adding a filling and folding it over, roll the dough in powdered sugar to sweeten it up, brush on some melted vegan butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Bake for the same amount of time as the pizza pockets, 375F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.  

These would be delicious topped with fruit like this raw apple pie or even diced strawberries.  You could easily turn them into a fruit pizza by adding vegan cream cheese, honey or whatever your family loves!

Other uses for pizza dough: 

Vegetable Flatbread

Vegan Pizza Faces

Cruciferous Salad: It's Easy To Get Your Veggie Power!

Which one would you rather eat?  

Cruciferous vegetables are amazing cancer-fighters, full of ITCs (Indoles & Isothiocyanates which boost your immune system), minerals, vitamins and fiber.  It can be tricky to get our fill each week on these powerful veggies so I thought making something a little more interesting then plain ol' steamed broccoli would be a nice way to mix things up.  Eating the broccoli and cauliflower raw also helps to maintain it's nutrients.  Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, mustard greens, turnips, arugula and bok choy.

Aside from the health benefits of this salad, I love that it's got that rich mayonnaise flavor without any cholesterol since we're using the vegan variety.  The raisins and sun-dried tomatoes add a great chewy texture which balances out the crisp veggies.  My kids loved how colorful this salad was too!

Cruciferous Salad 

(Vegan, Gluten-Free)

makes about 8 servings

1 large head broccoli

3/4 medium head cauliflower

1/2 C. vidalia onion, diced (or use any onion you have)

1/2 C. raisins

1/2 C. carrots, shredded

1/2 C. sun-dried tomatoes (or use cherry tomatoes, halved)

1 C. vegan mayonnaise*

2 Tb. agave nectar

2 Tb. apple cider vinegar

sea salt & ground black pepper to taste

Cut the broccoli and cauliflower heads into bite-sized florets.  Rinse and pat dry with a kitchen towel.  

Place those in a large bowl.  Add in the onions, raisins, carrots and sun-dried tomatoes.  Carefully mix everything together using a large spoon.

In a separate medium-small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, agave nectar, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.  

Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the vegetables and toss until completely coated.  

This salad is best when it's chilled and marinated for at least one hour prior to serving.

*Vegan Mayonnaise: Trader Joe's mayonnaise is vegan, although they don't advertise it as such.  You can also find Vegenaise or Earth Balance's Mindful Mayo on the market.  

Get your veggie power!

Sponsor Post: TeraGanix + 7 Easy To Grow Spring Fruits & Veggies

Get your spring gardening on with TeraGanix!

TeraGanix offers some really cool organic gardening products which really give your garden a boost, especially if you're a novice gardener or want to avoid harmful chemicals.  

Check out their selection at TeraGanix.com!

Our Veggie Kids' garden is coming along nicely.  These are the carrots which we are anxious to try!

By now you should have gotten some things planted since weather is really warming up in most parts of the U.S. and elsewhere. Here are 7 EASY TO GROW SPRING CROPS that are great for kids to help with or useful to those of you who do not have anything close to a green thumb.

CARROTS: As long as there's a lot of sunshine and the soil is loose enough, carrots can be grown from spring through summer.  Plant more carrot seeds every few weeks to keep the crop going.

RADISHES: Great for impatient kids because they grow so quickly and are fun to pull up once they're ready to be harvested.  Plant these in early spring or fall. 

PEAS:  Peas are easy to grow as long as they have something to climb up since they're a vine.  Be sure to water often and watch how quickly those kids nibble on them once they're ripe!

TOMATOES:  There are such a wide variety of tomatoes to choose from and there is nothing like a fresh picked tomato!  Either plant seedlings right into the ground or start seeds in warm weather or indoors and transplant when they're big enough.  Last year my kids and I planted way too many tomatoes then we could even keep up with but they loved giving tomatoes away to teachers and friends. Who doesn't love fresh produce?

BEANS: Beans also come in a wide variety and are easy to grow.  You'll find many elementary schools send kids home with a dirt cup filled with a seedling the child has planted because of it's ease. Harvesting the beans can be a fun chore for family dinner time too!  Bush beans are the easiest to grow because they don't require the use of stakes.

SALAD GREENS:  You can start growing salad greens and lettuce varieties in early spring with great success.  Mustard greens, kale and escarole are easy to grow and can be continually planted throughout the spring and summer seasons.  Just don't forget to water!

HERBS: Herbs are great for growing indoors or out and are a fantastic addition to many recipes.  Plant herbs in good soil with plenty of sun.  Be aware that some herbs prefer a dryer soil while others like it moist.  (Just read the seed packet for the correct information.)  The hardest part about growing herbs is trying to decide which ones to grow-there are so many to choose from!

Thanks to the Veggie Kids' sponsor: TeraGanix!

Top 12 Kid & Family-Friendly Vegan Recipes

I am regularly asked what my favorite and easiest plant-based recipes for my family are which is difficult to say with so many yummy recipes out there.  While I have many favorites, there seems to be a select few that always pop up as repeats in my kitchen.  These are the top 12 kid-friendly, family-friendly, healthy, vegan recipes that I've had great success with in my own home and in feeding others.


I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does!

BREAKFAST/SNACK:

30 Second Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

Classic Vegan Pancakes

Carrot Cake Cookies

LUNCH/APPETIZER:

Sunflower Seed Cheese

Shape Chips

Rice Cream Sundae

DINNER:

Taqueritos

Creamy Fettucini Carbonara

Apple Spinach Wrap

DESSERT:

Black Bean Brownies

Kidney Bean Cookie Dough

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

I'd love to hear from you if you have tried any of these recipes yourself or have some family favorites of your own!

Guest Post with Diary Of A Health Nut

If you're sensitive to getting your feelings hurt then you'd better not read this post because my new guest blogger is known to never make excuses or sugar coat anything when it comes to being real about food choices.  And don't let her catch you with a doughnut in your hand either!

Meet Megan, the potty-mouthed health food nut (pun intended) behind Diary Of A Health Nut.  Mom of two cutie-pies and devoted wife, Megan considers herself to be granola kind-of-a-gal who is obsessed with all things healthy.  She and her hubby are successful business owners and real estate investors but she can't deny her love for anything healthy, especially when it comes to food!  When she's not running her business or tending to her family, she's busy learning and writing.  Working on nutrition and holistic health certifications as well as a book, Megan is soon to launch her first eBook.

What motivated you to start Diary of a Health Nut?

Diary of a Health Nut is a culmination of my entire life's calling.  Looking back, so many events or seemingly small tidbits of my life were leading up to something bigger.  From donating all of my allowance to save the whales after seeing Free Willy to high school Ecology Club, the Universe it seems has always been pushing me in this direction.  I've always been a health nut, but after educating myself, I finally had a real direction.  It wasn't just about being skinny anymore.  

Then, my best friend's wife came down with a rare form of breast cancer.  While most people get upset about that sort of thing, I got PISSED!  Would she have gotten it if the companies who make her food had warned her about what she was eating?  We'll never know...  But I'll damn sure scream it from the rooftops when I find out the disgusting chemicals they have the audacity to deem 'safe for consumption'.  My website is that rooftop.

Why are you so "unapologetic" about it?

You won't win over crowds with hugs and carrot sticks.  I tried talking to my parents for years about it, lovingly.  Nothing.  Then my mom had 8" of her colon removed.  I had 2 choices.  I could contine what I was doing and literally watch her die, while I knew the 'secret', or I could rant, rave and throw stuff until she listened.  I chose the latter.  She listened.  She is now reversing her diabetes.  Screw being nice.  Nice guys finish last.  Tough love works far better.

VK: Is your family vegan?  
Nope.  Actually, none of us are really.  We do include small amounts of animal products in our diet.  My kids and I eat how I truely believe our bodies were designed/created to eat.  My husband is practically a carnivore, but he is coming around.  :)  We keep very minimal meat in the house and no dairy unless my husband smuggled it in.  He enjoys my cooking, so it hasnt been too hard for him and he has found his ailments like heartburn and gall bladder attacks have all disappeared!

How do you deal with cooking something everyone will approve of (because I find this challenging in my own home!!)?

If we are making a spaghetti type dish, my husband may add meat at times.  If we grill, I'll grill veggie or bean burgers and he'll have his own.  Since my daughter and I do eat some fish, we can agree there but most of the time he does eat what I eat without complaints.  My husband told me when I changed my diet that if the food was good, he would eat it; and he does.  In my book, I do plan to show some variations of dishes though to accommodate the meat eater in the family.  I make a mean Big Bang Cauliflower dish that is also great with shrimp.  Either way, its yummy and everyone can enjoy!

VK: How much raw food do you incorporate into your daily diets?   
I make sure that every meal I eat includes something raw.  If I make vegan waffles in the morning, I top them with an ungodly amount of fresh organic blueberries.  If I make a tofu salad sandwich for lunch, you can bet its chock full of romaine, tomatoes and sprouts.  Snacks are often raw nuts.  And, often enough, I eat completely raw meals.  I do make the best damn taco 'nut meat' I've ever had!  ;)

VK: What is your favorite go-to recipe that the whole family loves?

Shepherds Pie & my Vegan Philly 'Cheese Steak' hoagies (see recipe below).  My carniverous husband loves both and the Shepherds Pie is my daughter's favorite!

Here are two tasty 

DIARY OF A HEALTH NUT 

family-friendly recipes:

Philly Cheese Steak Hoagie

2 Tbsp high heat cooking oil

2 Portobello Mushrooms, sliced

1/2 medium Onion sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Braggs, tamari or shoyu 

2 Tbsp Worstershire sauce (vegan version if you are vegan)

Hoagie roll

Vegan mozzarella cheese (I prefer Daiya for this recipe)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. Add veggies and cook until soft. Add sauces and season with s&p. While its cooking, slice hoagie (butter if you choose) and throw in toaster over for a couple minutes. Top with veggies and cheese and return to toaster oven for a few minutes until cheese is melted. 

I promise-this may be meat free but it is DAMN good!!!

Raw Sesame Noodles

Serves 1-2

1/2 -3/4 C Carrots, shredded

1 tsp rice vinegar (or seasoned rice vinegar), + 1 tsp1 tsp Shoyu, + 2 Tbsp

1 Large Zucchini, spiralized, or 2 Medium
(if you do NOT have a spiralizer, use a vegetable peeler to cut into thin strands)

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1 Tbsp Raw Cashew Butter (or Almond if thats what you have!)

2 Tbsp Tahini 

1 Tbsp Raw Agave Nectar

1/2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Filtered Water

1/4 tsp Mustard powder

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (more or less to taste)

2 tsp Black Sesame Seeds, + more for garnish

Place the shredded carrots with 1 tsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp shoyu in a bowl and toss.  Set aside to soften and marinate while you prepare the rest.

Do the same with the zucchini and lemon juice.  Mix together, remaining rice vinegar and shoyu, cashew butter, tahini, agave, toasted sesame oil, water, mustard, peppers and sesame seeds.  

Whisk until well combined.  Toss with zucchini noodles.  The dressing will appear thick until you toss a few times with the noodles.  The water in the zucchini will thin out the sauce quickly.  

Top with shredded carrots and garnish with additional sesame seeds if desired.

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Check out the contest going on at Megan's FB Page to win a signed copy of the book!