Another slow cooker recipe for you today! I have been on a soup kick lately, probably because of the colder weather. I have been craving warm and hearty and delicious soup. Plus the house smells amazing all day as the soup simmers in the slow cooker! 
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recipes
Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
I didn’t think that this recipe would be a winner. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, and in my head I could see it working, but as I started to put this together, I got nervous. Luckily it all worked out and this turned into a favorite around here! This makes a lot of falafel, so it would be good for a get-together or even as appetizers at a party.
Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
- 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in a big pot overnight
- 1 onion, diced small
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 3 tbsp almond flour
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 3 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2-1 tsp cayenne, depending on how spicy you want your falafel
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Tahini Sauce
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (you could use any non-dairy milk, but I think coconut works the best)
- 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
1. Preheat oven to 400. Drain and rinse your soaked chickpeas, place them in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Place in a large bowl. Place the diced onion, parsley, cilantro, and garlic cloves into the processor and pulse until it looks like paste. Add the herb paste to the chickpeas and combine. Mix in the seasonings and then the baking soda and powder.
2. Using a tablespoon, ice cream or cookie scooper, form the chickpea mixture into little balls. Don’t make them too big or they will fall apart. Place the falafel onto a cookie sheet that has been oiled or use a baking mat. Flatten the balls just a little, brush with a little olive oil and bake in the oven for 10 min. After 10 minutes, flip the falafel and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
3. For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until thick. Pour over falafel or use it as a dipping sauce. Either way is delicious!
Don’t freak out if it looks like the falafel is not going to hold together, it will. Do be gentle with these, though, since falafel is usually fried, these are just a little bit more delicate (and healthier). So get to cooking and let me know what you think!
Taco Casserole
This recipe is a winner. Ask my husband, he is crazy about this one. I have to admit it is one of my new favorites too, it is creamy and a little spicy and fulfils that need for Mexican food without making you feel gross afterwards. Now, because I don’t eat dairy or buy processed products, I made my own nacho “cheese” sauce. It looks and sounds like it will taste really gross, but I promise you it tastes phenomenal. If you don’t want to use the sauce I used you can use store bought nacho cheese sauce, but I don’t recommend it. Also, give yourself some time to make this recipe, this is a really good weekend meal. Ok enough talking, let’s get to it!
Taco Casserole
For the Nacho “Cheese” Sauce
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup nutritional yeast (do NOT use baking yeast, you will be very unhappy with the results)
- 1 tsp chipotle chili spice (more if you want a spicer cheese sauce)
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch (cornstarch or arrowroot powder would also work)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
For the filling
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 jar salsa (I make my own, but there are plenty of good store bought brands that work)
- 6-8 tortillas (I use corn, but flour works too)
1. About an hour or so before you want to eat, dissolve the salt for the cheese sauce in 2 cups warm water. Add in the cashews and let them soak for an hour. After an hour, place cashews and water into a blender or food processor. Add in the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients and blend until smooth. You want to get the consistency really smooth with no cashew chunks in it.
2. Transfer the cheese sauce to a medium saucepan and heat on medium-high until the sauce is nice and thick. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the black beans and corn kernels.
3. While cheese sauce is heating, turn oven to 400 and heat some olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms, garlic, and salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms until they are a nice golden brown and have released their moisture. This takes about 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms into the cheese sauce with the beans and corn.
4. Now it’s time to assemble everything. In a large casserole dish, spread a thin layer of salsa on the bottom. Layer a few tortillas on top of this. My casserole dish usually fits 3, but if yours is bigger or smaller use however many. On top of the tortillas add a layer of the cheese sauce, then another layer of salsa, then more tortillas. Keep layering until all your stuff is gone. Cover the dish with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes. When it’s done let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes before you cut it up
Like I said, this meal takes a little more time to put together which is why it’s a good meal to make for the weekend. You can also sub in ground beef or turkey for the mushrooms, just make sure to brown the meat first. I also really like to top this with guacamole or my avocado cream sauce. This dish gets even better the next day and makes for really good lunch leftovers. Again, ask my husband 😉 Enjoy!
Cauliflower Couscous
Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable. You can turn it into a ton of different things such as sauces, mashed potato substitute, and “rice”. That’s a lot for one little vegetable! I decided to use cauliflower to make a sort of couscous and it makes a really great, light summer meal that is fairly easy to put together.
Cauliflower Couscous
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- juice and zest of one lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp marjoram
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped, toasted almonds
1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add in your chopped almonds. Stir frequently until the are lightly browned and just starting to smell fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
2. Chop your cauliflower into florets, trying to leave as much of the stem behind as you can. Put the florets into a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until the cauliflower is finely chopped and looks like couscous. Make sure not to pulverize it , you want it to have some texture
3. Using the same skillet from your almonds, heat the olive oil over medium heat and then add in your cauliflower couscous. Cook the couscous for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add in all your spices, the lemon juice and zest, and the toasted almonds. Stir to combine and let the couscous sit for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.
This is a really versatile recipe. You can use whatever spices you feel like adding to the couscous. You can use walnuts or cashews instead of almonds and you could even add meat to the dish. Get creative and enjoy using cauliflower in a new and fun way!
Any Fruit Crisp
I have a really delicious treat for you guys today, a dessert recipe! I realized that I had not posted any kind of dessert recipe and knew that needed to change. It is entirely possible to eat well and healthy and also enjoy a few treats! This crisp is probably not what you would immediately think of when you think a typical crisp. I’ve adapted it to fit into a healthy lifestyle, but also taste just as delicious! It also doesn’t take that long to put together and you can use whatever fruit you have lying around depending on the season. I’ve done strawberry and rhubarb, strawberry and pear, and more recently peach and raspberry. An all berry crisp would be delicious and in the fall an apple one would taste phenomenal!
Any Fruit Crisp
- 1/2 cup steel cut oats, soaked in just enough water to cover for about 15 minutes
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp safflower oil (olive oil would work, but I like the lighter flavor of safflower)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3-4 cups fruit of your choice
1. Preheat your oven to 400. Slice your fruit up into bite size chunks and place into a pie dish, or another shallow dish. Add your lemon juice and 1 tbsp maple syrup to the fruit. Mix well
2. In a medium bowl add your soaked steel cut oats, almond flour, and cinnamon. Stir together, it will look a little crumbly at this point, that’s totally fine. Add in 1 tbsp safflower oil and 2 tbsp maple syrup. Mix again. It should start to stick together now but not be too wet looking.
3. Spoon the oat/almond flour mixture over the fruit making sure to cover as much of the fruit as possible. It won’t look perfect and that is fine, it isn’t suppose to!
4. Place in oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. You want the fruit to be bubbling and the top part should just be starting to brown. Cool completely and then serve up the yum!
Because this is such a quick dessert, you can make it often and experiment with what fruit combo you like the best. It’s also yummy enough to share at a BBQ or party… if you feel like sharing! Enjoy!
Life Healthfully Lived 