Grilled Maple Toast w/ Apples and Almond Butter & Quinoa and Kale Stuffed Tomatoes

The weather always seems to be chilly during this long weekend; a reminder that our summers are short lived and the fall season is shortly approaching. But with fall comes an amazing bounty of incredible vegetables that I just can’t wait to cook with! In the meantime, I’m still loading up on fresh tomatoes from the garden, and local dark leafy greens like kale, used in my ultra satisfying stuffed tomato recipe!

As for brekkie…I’ve got you covered! How does grilled maple toast with almond butter and apples sound!? How about AMAZING!?! Well they are! Best of all, it’s a heart healthy, fiber filling, sweet treat that is super kid friendly for back to school breakfasts or works great as a packed lunch.

Grilled Apple-Almond Maple Toast

2 slices organic sprouted grain bread
Half an apple, thinly sliced
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp maple syrup
Dash of cinnamon

Spread almond butter onto bread slices. Top one slice with sliced apples, drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place second slice of bread on top and grilled using a sandwich maker or grill pan. Feel free to swap out apples for other fruits. Bananas and peaches would work well, apple or cashew butter would be a good swap for almond butter, get creative!

Quinoa and Kale Stuffed Tomatoes

2 large organic heirloom tomatoes, cored
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1/2 cup broccoli florets
4 dinosaur kale leaves, cut into fine ribbons
1/4 red onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Splash Tamari
Himalayan sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Handful toasted pine nuts (optional)
Goat cheese (optional)

1. Cook quinoa in 2 cups water with a pinch of sea salt, first rinsing quinoa well in a fine sieve
2. In a frying pan, heat olive oil and sauté garlic, onion, broccoli and kale. When kale and broccoli turn a nice dark green, add a splash of Tamari, stir through and remove from heat
3. When quinoa is cooked (12-15 mins), add it to the veggies and mix through.
4. Hollow out center of 2 large organic tomatoes and add quinoa/veg mixture. Feel free to pop the tomatoes into the oven for ten minutes to heat through, or eat as is.
Optional- add toasted pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese to stuffed tomatoes for an extra touch and deliciousness!!

This recipe is great for entertaining friends at a dinner party as it looks elegant on a plate!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!
Have a Happy and Healthy Meatless Monday!

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Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes and Carrot and Red Pepper Soup for Meatless Monday!

Although I love my smoothies and juices first thing in the morning, nothing is better than a warming plate of homemade pancakes! I’ve been known to eat them for dinner too! Blueberry buckwheat pancakes are sure to please and are filled with yummy delicious goodness! Buckwheat flour is a great source of protein and fiber and makes the perfect substitution in this recipe for the typical nutrient deprived white flour.

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup fortified almond or rice milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tbsp grapeseed oil (butter/olive oil works too!)

Mix buckwheat flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate large bowl, combine mashed banana, maple syrup, vinegar, and non-dairy milk. Add flour mixture, stirring just enough to remove any lumps and make a pourable batter. Stir in blueberries and add a bit more milk if the batter seems too thick.

Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle, then add grapeseed oil (and/or butter/olive oil). Pour small amounts of batter onto the heated surface and cook until tops bubble. Turn carefully with a spatula and cook the second sides until browned, about 1 minute. Serve immediately

For alittle extra sweetness, I like to add Madhava Agave Nectar-blueberry flavor on top of my pancakes. It’s a low-glycemic sweetener and it tastes delicious! For other flavors, visit their website here – www.madhavasweeteners.com/agave/

Onto something more savory, this carrot and red pepper soup is full of beta carotene, vitamin C, protein, fiber and super low cal! I know it’s still warm outside and summer hasn’t officially ended, but I just couldn’t help but post a soup recipe, mainly because my fridge is loaded with organic carrots. Between soups, muffins and fresh juices in the a.m, carrots are quite the popular veggie in my house!

Carrot and Red Pepper Soup

1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, thinly sliced
2 cups water or vegetable stock
2 red bell peppers, halved and seeds removed

3-4 garlic gloves, with skin on

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups soymilk or almond milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place onion and carrots into a pot with water or stock and simmer, covered, over medium heat until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Roast bell peppers and garlic, drizzled with olive oil at 400 for approx. 25 mins. (You can roast peppers directly under the broiler until the skin is blackened. This may take 10 mintues or longer, depending on your oven). Once roasted, place in a bowl, cover, and let stand about 15 minutes. Slip the charred skin off with your fingers and remove skins from garlic.

Blend the carrot mixture along with the bell peppers and garlic in a blender or food processor in several small batches. Add some of the non dairy milk to each batch to facilitate blending. Return to the pot and add lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Heat until steamy.

Have a Delicious Monday!

 

 

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