clockwise: warm butternut and chickpea salad | butternut stew | sweet potato oven fries | guacamole | vegan lasagna | polenta pizza | fall foliage lemon grass soup | no bake cookies | white bean and vegetable stew

man, i always get the stomach growls when i write these posts. is it wrong to crave lasagna first thing in the morning? i have to admit that i’m a creature of habit. i’ll find a recipe and just make it over and over again (as i’m sure you’ve noticed!). i always try to throw in a few newbies though. this week i cooked with lemongrass for the very first time and hope to do so more and more, it’s so yummy! i also discovered a new favorite recipe- this scrummy warm butternut squash and chickpea salad (thanks for the recommendation, jessica!).

monday: polenta pizza topped with seasonal veggies
tuesday: butternut stew served with sweet potato oven fries and homemade guacamole
wednesday: fall foliage lemon grass soup (left out the rutabaga and cilantro and subbed with potatoes and parsley)
thursday: white bean and vegetable stew served with a warm butternut and chickpea salad
friday:  vegan lasagna with basil cashew cheez and no bake cookies for dessert :)
what was on your plate this week? any favorite recipes you’d like to share?

we follow a whole foods, plant based diet. the dinner ideas posts are a way for me to log our dinners, how we make eating this way easy, and hopefully inspire you to try some new things as well. they are always meat free, dairy free and often gluten free. you can follow the posts here, and i encourage you to share your favorite recipes with us as well!

wrap up: {dinner ideas} {gluten free} {plant based} {seasonal} {simple} {vegan} {vegetarian} {whole foods}

kale chips  | sweet potato chili | butternut squash and red onion pasta | pumpkin coconut bisque | basil cashew cheeze | vegan lasagna

nomnomnom! i get hungry every time i write these posts. my favorite recipe this week? probably this pumpkin coconut bisque. what was yours?

monday: vegan lasagna with basil cashew cheeze (i’m addicted!)
tuesday: sweet potato chili served with kale chips
wednesday: butternut squash and red onion pasta
thursday: southern fried tofu and waffles from the global vegan waffle cookbook
friday: pumpkin coconut bisque served with a seasonal salad, topped with roasted chickpeas

what was on your plate this week? any favorite recipes you’d like to share?

we follow a whole foods, plant based diet. the dinner ideas posts are a way for me to log our dinners, how we make eating this way easy, and hopefully inspire you to try some new things as well. they are always meat free, dairy free and often gluten free. you can follow the posts here, and i encourage you to share your favorite recipes with us as well!

wrap up: {dinner ideas} {gluten free} {organic gardening} {recipes} {seasonal} {simple} {vegan} {vegetarian}

pumpkin cashew and coconut curry | roasted artichokes and fingerlings | black pepper tofu | sweet potato chili | black beans and corn | polenta fries | crispy roasted cauliflower | carrot fries

winner winner tofu dinner! this is one of my favorite seasons to cook in. this week was full of fresh seasonal veggies like pumpkin, cauliflower and carrots which always cook up especially savory meals. my favorite this week? probably the pumpkin cashew coconut curry. what was yours?

monday: pumpkin cashew and coconut curry served with lentils (yummmmm!)
tuesday: black beans and corn served over polenta with crispy roasted cauliflower.
wednesday: leftovers served with roasted artichokes and fingerlings.
thursday: sweet potato chili served with polenta fries.
friday: big hearty salad topped with roasted crispy chickpeas and tofu, served with carrot fries.

what was on your plate this week? any favorite recipes you’d like to share?

we follow a whole foods, plant based diet. the dinner ideas posts are a way for me to log our dinners, how we make eating this way easy, and hopefully inspire you to try some new things as well. they are always meat free, dairy free and often gluten free. you can follow the posts here, and i encourage you to share your favorite recipes with us as well!

wrap up: {dinner ideas} {february} {gluten free} {meals} {plan} {recipes} {seasonal} {vegan} {vegetarian}

roasted fall veggies with lentils | butternut squash and apple soup | polenta pizza | shepherd’s pie | vegan lasagna recipe

i found myself craving comfort food this week, so our meals were full of hearty-feel-good-foods. potatoes, soup and yummy polenta did the job! and don’t forget, if it wasn’t delicious and totally hubby approved, it doesn’t make the list!

monday: this new vegan lasagna recipe that is to.die.for.
tuesday: shepherd’s pie made from local fresh veggies.
wednesday: polenta pizza served with sauteed kale (yum-o!).
thursday: butternut squash and apple soup, a winter favorite!
friday: roasted fall veggies with lentils.

what was on your plate this week? any favorite recipes you’d like to share?

we follow a whole foods, plant based diet. the dinner ideas posts are a way for me to log our dinners, how we make eating this way easy, and hopefully inspire you to try some new things as well. they are always meat free, dairy free and often gluten free. you can follow the posts here, and i encourage you to share your favorite recipes with us as well!

wrap up: {dinner} {gluten free} {heart} {ideas} {seasonal} {vegan} {vegetarian} {winter}

turkey photo by carl christensen

 
the first my mom said when i told her i was going to be a vegetarian was, ‘what are you going to eat at thanksgiving?!’ well that was some 6 years ago and we’ve come a long way! though turkey is a tradition each year, it seems that more and more vegetarians and vegans alike are coming to the table to have a turkeyless thanksgiving. no matter where you are on the scale: from being interested in having a veggie side – to expecting a vegetarian guest – to being a vegan yourself, below is something for everyone!

i wanted to share with you a few vegetarian/vegan recipes and articles relating to thanksgiving, and invite you to share your recipes and thought as well!

1. vegetable wellington (i made this last week, and it is now my most favorite recipe!)
2. apple sage ‘sausage’ chestnut stuffing
3. candied lime sweet potatoes
4. soy braised carrots
5. coconut butternut squash soup
6. seitan piccata

other yummy and delightful resources:

- find a local, sustainable turkey - still want a turkey? find out how you can find a healthy and sustainable one here!
- a thanksgiving feast, no turkey’s allowed – an article by the ny times
- ny times vegetarian thanksgiving (tons of recipes!)
- vegan & vegetarian thanksgiving dinner recipes – a great source for recipes and menu ideas
- celebrate a vegan holiday – awesome recipes (like sage & pumpkin seed encrusted seitan with roasted garlic-pumpkin sauce!)
- vegetarian thanksgiving recipes – you guessed it, more amazing recipes!

wrap up: {holidays} {meals} {recipes} {sides} {thanksgiving} {turkey} {vegan} {vegetarian}

this is an absolute winter favorite at our house. the addition of sweet potatoes makes this dish not only extra hearty, but healthy too! the flavors of fall just seem to warm you up from the inside out. enjoy! *v= vegan | g= gluten free

sweet potato chili

ingredients:

- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 red bell peppers, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 cans of crushed tomatoes
- 4 sweet potatoes, chopped into 1/4″ pieces
- 1 can black beans
- 5-6 cups water
- 1 tbs cumin
- 2 tbs chili powder
- dash of ground cloves
- 1 tsp cardamom
- salt and pepper to taste
optional: top with avocado and sour cream

directions:

1) heat oil in a large stock pot and saute onions, peppers and garlic until onion is translucent (about 5-7 minutes).

2) add all of the spices and cook for about another 3 minutes.

3) add the water, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and black beans and bring to boil. reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. serve with sliced avocado and sour cream, and enjoy!

wrap up: {chili} {gluten free} {healthy} {hearty} {seasonal} {sweet potato} {vegan} {vegetarian}

on friday’s dinner ideas post i mentioned that i had made my favorite shepherd’s pie, so this week i thought i would share the recipe with you! it is always inspired by whatever veggies are in season at the moment, so this is a year-long favorite. and since it’s so versatile (and oh-so-scrumptious) you can switch up the veggies to anything you like!

*note! this time, i used purple potatoes- aren’t they purty?! you can use any potato though. :) also, be sure to cover the entire top of your pie, i just photographed this one before i finished so that you could see the yummies that lie beneath!

wrap up: {fall} {recipe} {recipes} {seasonal} {shepherd's pie} {vegan} {vegetarian}

{dream by leaf**}

hello, sweets! i just wanted to give you a quick update as to my doctor’s visit yesterday. turns out, i’ve managed to tear the lateral meniscus in my left knee and possibly my acl (eeks!). we are awaiting mri results this afternoon, but they have scheduled me to have surgery on tuesday morning. that means, i’m not quite sure what ghtr will look like next week! if i’m not too terribly dazed on pain meds, you’ll be seeing me as usual, but i’m going to guess that i might be skipping a few days. i will try to keep you posted, but as of now that’s the info i have. thank you so much for all your kinds words, thoughts and prayers!

now, moving on! i just thought the other day how fun it might be to share with you the recipes i’ve made throughout the week on fridays. occasionally they are my original recipes, but many times they are found in my favorite cookbooks or blogs. i often edit them to my liking, but i’ll try to share with you as much as possible (and always only the good-husband-approved ones). :)

monday: zucchini fritters from smitten kitchen

tuesday: made the best berry cobbler (used blackberries this time).

wednesday: beanballs and spaghetti from veganomicon – online recipe here.

thursday: ate the best vegan meal ever at adama vegan comfort food. if you’re in the area, we highly recommend!

anything noteworthy on your menu this week? please do share in the comments section!

wrap up: {update} {vegan} {vegetarian} {weekly}