Over the last few weeks we have received a number of small carnival squash in our CSA and I have been attempting to find a delicious and creative way to use them One of my girlfriends was in town and came over for dinner so I decided that I would make stuffed squash with sauteed kale and dijon balsamic roasted beets.
Quinoa Stuffed Squash
4 small squash, Carnival or Acorn would work well
1T olive oil, divided
1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package
1.5 cups water
1T olive oil
1 Red Bell Pepper, small dice
1 Small onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1t Italian Seasoning
1t Salt
1/2t pepper
1/2t garlic powder
1/2 cup vegetable broth +2T AP flour, whisked together
Preheat oven to 350F.
Cut the tops off the squash about 1 inch down. Scoop the seeds out of the squash and drizzle each with 1/4T of olive oil and salt and pepper. Reserve the tops to the side. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes.
While the squash is baking- in a large skillet heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Toss in the onions and peppers in the oil for 3-5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and black eyed peas for a minute. Add in the spices, salt, pepper and vegetable broth mixture. Heat until the sauce has thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked quinoa.
Remove the squash from the oven and stuff until just slightly overfilled. Place the tops back on and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes until the squash is soft, test with a tip of a knife.
I have become an addict of Tempt hemp milk and Tempt frozen dessert since I started guest blogging for Living Harvest. They sent me coupons to sample their products and we go through at least 1 carton Tempt hemp milk and 1 pint of Tempt frozen dessert every 10 or so days. The frozen dessert is one of the best I have ever had- it’s creamy and delicious and I swear that the coffee biscotti taste like cheesecake, even though I haven’t had it in years.
In celebration of National Vegetarian Month, I am hosting a giveaway of Tempt™ products. The prize for one lucky reader would include:
• A box of Tempt™ hemp milk
• A VIP coupon for Tempt™ frozen dessert,
• A container of Tempt™ High Protein Powder,
• A “Do the Hemp Thing” T-shirt and tote
For contest entry, the only has to “Like” Living Harvest on Facebook and then come back and leave a comment by October 14 at 7am.
For additional chances to win you can:
Become a fan of Cook.Vegan.Lover. on Facebook (leave SEPARATE comment)
Follow Cook.Vegan.Lover. on twitter (leave SEPARATE comment)
Subscribe to my newsletter (leave SEPARATE comment)
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix oil, sugar, nondairy milk, flax seeds and vanilla. Stir in the flour and salt and mix together. Once combined mix in the chocolate chips, goji berries and coconut until thoroughly combined.
Drop heaping tablespoons of cookie batter onto the lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.
I recently received two flavors of Grassroot Granookies to review, the Apricot Cinnamon and the chocolate chips. Grassroot Granookies are a tasty blend of cookies and granola bars.
They are a good balance of the two as they are chewy and crispy and pack a lot of flavor! I ate the Granookies on their own and broke them up and put them in my vegan yogurt. They are delicious, sweet but not too sweet and the chocolate chip Granookies went great with my vanilla soygurt parfait.
These are great alternatives to mainstream granola bars and cookies as they are fun, healthy and convenient. They are a great source for fiber, complete proteins, amino acids and more! To top it all off, they are dairy free, soy free and nut free as well which is great for those with food allergies or sensitivities.
Now it is your chance to win your own sample of Grassroot Granookies! Entries will be accepted until October 12th at 8pm. To enter you can do any (or all) of these: Please leave individual comments for each entry.
Tell me what inventive way you will enjoy your sample of Granookies.
The newest addition to my OpenSky shop is this great back the Envitote. I have been using this reusable back for a few months now and love how durable it is. The most unique thing about this tote is the square base and handles on the side as well as the shoulder strap. I have not found any other totes that are like this and it creates and easy totae for me to carry my groceries in.
As a new, small business, Envicorp Products tried to find every creative avenue to distribute our eco-friendly products such as our original design Envitote. With limited resources, this can be challenging. After meeting an OpenSky buyer at the California Gift Show, we believed that this was an opportunity we had to seize.
We saw the OpenSky Project as a bold, new approach to shopping. In an age where personal interactions are becoming fewer and far between, OpenSky aspires to use those very technologies to bring relationships back to shopping.
2. What was the inspiration behind Envicorp?
Inspired at an Earth Day festival in Santa Monica, CA, Stephanie Collins began designing environmentally friendly products. Along with best friend of 20 years, Tana Collins, a plan was made to start a company that would provide products to the eco-conscious. Our hope is to reduce consumer waste and environmental pollution. While we are a company, part of our mission is that of advocacy, education, and service. The long-term objective is to start a non-profit foundation that will give grants to grassroots environmental programs.
3. Why do you feel it is important to use reusable bags versus plastic?
The average use of any plastic bag is only 12 minutes. It then takes that single bag 500-1000 years to decompose. The average U.S. family uses on average 1,500 plastic bags per year. With one reusable bag preventing six plastic bags from being used, this is one easy step that everyone can take to help protect our environment. With roughly 60–80% of all marine debris, and 90% of floating debris being plastic, the use of reusable bags can have a dramatic effect on our planet. We have a page of our website devoted to many of the statistics about plastic bag consumption. Our envifacts can be found at http://www.envicorp.com/envifacts.html.
First, we like the fact that Envitote has an impact on saving the planet. Next, we are thrilled with the multiple uses that have been found for the Envitote. Its diversity as a bag extends well beyond the grocery store. For example, Envitote fits perfectly under an airline seat, so it works as the perfect travel bag. We have had it used as a diaper bag and pet carrier. Also, it makes the perfect eco-friendly gift basket. The uses are endless.
6. Do you have any plans to create other products?
We have other products available on our website, www.envicorp.com, and on OpenSky. Also, we are currently in the process of developing additional original products (like the Envipal another great tote but this one is insulated!)
Avoid processed sugars and products made with process sugars. When you crave sweets try eating sweet veggies such as sweet potato, red bell pepper, corn and carrots. Substitute brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, stevia or agave for processed sugars; and yes that includes brown sugars. When eating baked goods look for ones made with whole grains and sweetened with fruit juice.
Recognize your cravings and try these alternatives:
If you’re craving Salt: high-quality sea salt (just a dash on your food)
If you’re craving Bitter: Dark leafy greens
If you’re craving Pungent: ginger, cayenne, scallions, onions, garlic, pepper
If you’re craving Spicy: Cayenne, hot chili oil
If you’re craving Creamy: oatmeal, porridge
If you’re craving Crunchy: carrot sticks, whole grain pretzels or natural baked chips
If you’re craving Liquid: WATER!
If you’re craving Crispy & Dry: Rice Cakes or Sesame Sticks
