Pasta with a Heirloom Tomatoes and Lemon Basil Sauce

Let me start by saying, I am not a huge pasta fan.  I know, I know....I'm crazy. To be honest, I'm not even sure when this, let's call it "ambivalence", began (I was a HUGE pasta eater as a child). In the two years Stephen and I have been married, I think I've made pasta a grand total of 3 times? Unfortunately, (fortunately?) Stephen IS a pasta lover, and so a few months ago I broke down and decided to try out a simple lemon pasta recipe.  It sounded easy and really light (huge lemon fan, right here) and so I gave it a go.  It. Was. Amazing.  Stephen has now requested that pasta on an, almost, weekly basis, a winner for sure (also, it takes all of 10 minutes. Seriously).  And, it is just as good cold the next day for lunch (which is equally as important).  Here is what you will need:

Serving size: 2 

Ingredients:

About two fist-fulls of pasta (that is not a standard measurement, but lets just go with it)

About a cup of loosely packed basil

1 cup almond milk

The zest and juice of one lemon

About 2-3 small heirloom tomatoes

Directions:

Boil the pasta as per instructions (making sure to season the water with salt).  Then, in a food processor, blend the basil, almond milk, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Once the pasta is done, simply dish into a bowl and cover with the sauce.  Then add in your tomatoes and you're finished! How easy was that?

Vegan Breakfast Bowl

Sorry for the lack of posts this past week! We had my parents in town, moved, Stephen went out of town, and then his parents came into town! All within a week period! So fun, but definitely no room for blogging.  Anyways, today I experimented with this breakfast bowl.  Since I am usually out the door by 7:00 am each morning, it's important that I get a good breakfast to keep me awake and energized.  This yummy bowl does just that.  It has an oatmeal base (with chia seeds!) and a homemade granola topping.  As for the fruit, you can pretty much add anything you want.  I went with frozen mango, fresh raspberries, and dark chocolate pieces.  See? Healthy AND delicious!  Who wouldn't want chocolate for breakfast? Here is what you will need:

Oatmeal base:

1/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 TBS. chia seeds
1 small banana (or half of a large one)
1/2 mango (this is totally optional but I liked the sweetness it added)

Granola:

1 cup puffed rice
3 cups cooked quinoa
3/4 cup honey
1/2 sesame seeds
1 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 TBS. vanilla extract
Directions:

In a small bowl add the rolled oats, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and chia seeds and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 min, or overnight. While you are waiting for your oats to soak, cook 1 cup dry quinoa in 3 cups water (or per package instructions).  Pre heat oven to 350. Once the quinoa is cooked, combine with puffed rice, honey, sesame seeds, chopped almonds, and chopped walnuts and vanilla extract.  On a cooking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper to avoid a sticky mess) evenly distribute the mixture.   Cook for 35-45 minutes (I re-distributed the mixture midway through to ensure even cooking). While the granola is cooking, add the oatmeal mixture into a blender along with the banana (and mango).  Once the granola has finished cooking, assemble your breakfast bowl!

Salmon Burgers with Pineapple BBQ Sauce

As the primary cook of our little family, I'm always on the hunt for new recipes to experiment with (salad and quinoa can get boring after a while). Since I work full-time during the week, I love to plan at least one meal that is a little "over-the-top", and completely different from our usual round-up, to make on the weekend.  Lately, this meal has been Sunday dinner.  When I saw a recipe for a Hawaiian Salmon Burger (here), I was so excited to make my own version and knew that it would be perfect for a quick after church lunch!  I love that this is full of healthy fats from the salmon and the avocado, and it's jam-packed with flavor! Seriously, the BBQ sauce for this is mind blowing.  My personal tip, toast the hamburger buns!  Something about charr marks on bread really gets my taste buds going.  Here is what you will need:

Serving Size: Makes 4
Cook time: about 30 minutes total

Ingredients:

1 LB. of skinless salmon
1 bunch of cilantro
2 TBS lime juice
1/2 cup BBQ sauce of your choosing
2 TBS. pineapple juice
1 fresh/ripe avocado
1 head of Iceberg (or butter) lettuce
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 TBS parmesan cheese
4 Hamburger Buns of your choosing

Directions:

Combine BBQ sauce, pineapple juice, cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl and set aside.  In a food processor quickly pulse the salmon meat together (it should be skinless). In another bowl, combine the panko, parmesan, and two TBS of the BBQ mixture (previously set aside) with the salmon and form 4 burger patties (if your mixture is too dry, feel free to add a bit more of the sauce). Reserve the remaing BBQ sauce for topping the burgers later.  On a grill (or pan) cook the salmon patties for 3-4 minutes on each side (make sure to coat the pan/grill with either PAM or Butter/Coconut oil).   About halfway through cooking the burgers, cut the buns in half, coat with butter, and place on the grill (this helps them get nice and toasty). Once the burgers are done, layer bun, lettuce, pattie, and mashed avocado then add a drizzle of BBQ!