Brooklyn Big Sandwich

This post was originally published as Brooklyn Bowl by Laurel on Health Food.

I went bowling with a bunch of friends last weekend at Brooklyn Bowl. My boyfriend and I showed up starving, so we went straight for the menu and ordered some food. I was pleasantly surprised at the menu selection, including lots of veggie options for me. I chose the “Veggie Buster” sandwich and found out that the name really holds up.

It was a HUGE sandwich with fresh mozzarella cheese and every roasted vegetable I could think of including arugula, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, artichoke, onion, red pepper, and more. I only ate a little bit of the cheese, but gobbled up all the veggies. I don’t know if the picture does it justice, but it was so huge that I only ate half of the sandwich and the nice fresh greens salad served on the side. I took the rest home for leftovers. Everyone who walked by was like, “Daaaaang that is a big sandwich….looks good.”

What a nice surprise from a bowling alley! Brooklyn Bowl really is a huge step up from the rest. Our server took good care of us all night and even brought our bowling shoes over for us so we didn’t have to stand in line, haha.

More vegan dishes

This post was originally published as Cornbread Muffins by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Every now and then it’s fun to make a big batch of muffins to have for breakfast. This morning I tried Alex Jamieson’s recipe for Cornbread Muffins from her Living Vegan for Dummies book. Wow, they were so fluffy and moist! Next time I’ll definitely make a double recipe so I can save a batch in the freezer. To see the recipe you can pick up a copy of the book on Amazon, or preview a copy on Google Books. Her cornbread muffins recipe is actually available in the book preview at this link. Scroll through until you see it.

These are great for breakfast, but would also be perfect for holiday dinners or anytime you want a muffin. We scarfed ours down this morning with a spicy butter I made using Earth Balance (vegan) butter and chopped fresh red chili.

I made a few substitutions in the recipe. Feel free to do what I did, or create your own substitutions.

• I used maple sugar (found at the health food store) instead of sucanat or turbinado sugar
• I used unsweetened almond milk instead of soy, rice, or hemp milk
• I used safflower oil instead of canola oil

If you’re at all curious about vegan cooking, Living Vegan for Dummies is a wonderful place to start. It explains the basics and will give you tons of ideas about how to incorporate more vegan dishes into your daily diet in a delicious, no-fuss kind of way.

7 days straight of Cold Weather Recipes

This post was originally published as 7 Days of Cold Weather Recipes by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Last week was my third blogathon. I posted 7 cold weather recipes for 7 days straight! There were vegetarian and meat options, so there’s a little something for everyone. Overall, it’s simple, healthy home-cooked food with tons of flavor.  Plus, I gave you a “Cold Weather Tip” each day to explain why these recipes rock during the winter time. Hoping you enjoyed all the warm and cozy food! Please let me know if you have requests for my next blogathon this Spring.

• Day 1 (Spicy Corn Soup)
• Day 2 (Hearty Grilled Veggie Sandwich)
• Day 3 (Chili Topped Baked Potatoes)
• Day 4 (Baked Asian Salmon & Asparagus)
• Day 5 (Baked Curry Chicken)
• Day 6 (Sweet Roasted Apples & Squash)
• Day 7 (Slow Cooker Veggie Stew)

 

Here’s a few more of my recipes that are great for the cold weather season:

• Black Bean Soup w/ Avocado
• Seafood Stew
• Baked Pesto Chicken
• Pork Tenderloin w/ Orange and Fresh Herbs Marinade
• Salmon Gulf Burgers
• Stuffed Peppers
• Butternut Squash & Pecan Salad 

To read about my other blog marathons, see also:

• 7 Days of Healthy Eating Out
• 7 Days of Healthy Desserts

Slow Cooker Veggie Stew | Cold Weather Recipes

This post was originally published as Day 7: Cold Weather Recipes by Laurel on Health Food blog.

It’s the final day of my blogathon, and I’m sharing a healthy slow cooker recipe for a lazy Sunday. I’m a newbie to the crockpot, but it was really easy. I just chopped up everything this morning, put the beans on the bottom, layered the veggies on top, then covered them with the liquids and fresh herbs. When it’s time to eat later, all I have to do is serve it up. Piece of cake.

Cold Weather Tip: A crockpot meal is THE cold weather go-to. Tossing it all in one pot makes preparation a cinch. You can make it in the morning when you’ve got energy and have it hot and ready later in the evening when you’re ready to feast and relax. Sweet potatoes and lentils make this a hearty veggie stew that’s catered to your winter cravings.

Don’t forget some hot sauce at the end for a garnish. It helps offset the sweetness of the carrot juice and sweet potatoes.

Slow Cooker Veggie Stew

Slow Cooker Veggie Stew topped with avocado, Sriracha hot sauce, and coconut flakes

For the stew:
2 cups dried lentils
3 large carrots
3 celery stalks
1 large onion
3-4 cloves garlic
1 large sweet potato
1 large can diced tomatoes (28 oz.)
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
3 cups vegetable stock (low sodium)
1 1/2 cups carrot juice
1 handful fresh thyme
1 handful fresh oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

For garnish:
Diced avocado
Sriracha hot sauce
Dried coconut flakes

Rinse off the lentils with water and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Chop up the carrots, celery, and onions into big pieces and layer on top of the lentils. Chop the garlic small and sprinkle on top. Peel the skin off the sweet potato and cut it into cubes. Sprinkle fresh thyme and oregano leaves on top (removing the stems). Add the salt & pepper. Pour in the tomatoes, veggie stock, coconut milk, and carrot juice. Cover with the lid and cook on high for about 5 hours.

To serve, spoon the stew into big bowls and top with avocado, coconut flakes, and a drizzle of hot sauce.

Tip: If you can’t find carrot juice, you can use tomato juice instead. 

See also Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, and Day 6 of this blogathon.

Veggie stew in the crockpot

Sweet Roasted Apples & Squash l Cold Weather Recipes

This post was originally published as Day 6: Cold Weather Recipes by Laurel on Health Food blog.

The week’s almost over, and I wanted to fit in something sweet to go with all the savory dishes I’ve been featuring. This simple recipe is easy to tweak if you want to make it multiple times. Try walnuts or pecans instead of the almonds (they’re just what I had in the house), or do a sage and olive oil dressing instead of the apple juice and cinnamon. It all depends on your mood. Tonight I had a sweet craving, and the sweet roasted apples and squash really hit the spot. My roommate’s friend said it smelled like cinnamon raisin bread was baking in the oven. Nice!

Cold Weather Tip: Cinnamon is a great spice for a chilly night. I did a little research and found out that in Chinese medicine, one of the healing uses for cinnamon is to provide warming effects on the body. It is known to help improve circulation to the hands and feet, relieve cold and flu symptoms, and improve digestion.

Sweet Roasted Apples & Squash
(serves 6, as a side dish)

Sweet Roasted Apples & Squash

Butternut squash (2 lbs.)
2 granny smith apples
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 heaping tbsp. honey
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the butternut squash into small cubes, removing the skin and seeds inside. Cut the apples into small cubes, removing the seeds and core. Spread out the squash and apple onto a big sheet pan. Drizzle apple juice on top and sprinkle on the cinnamon. Toss well to coat all the sides. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the sheet pan out of the oven. Drizzle honey on top and sprinkle on the almonds. Place back in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Tip: Butternut squash can be time consuming to cut up, so if your store offers pre-cut squash, you may want to try that on a night when you’re pressed for time (or just not feeling up to the hard chopping work).

See also Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5 of this blogathon. Keep your eye out for tomorrow’s crockpot recipe too.

Roasted apples, squash, and almonds in the pan