Nourish Bowl

I’ve definitely been taking advantage of all the Brussel Sprouts on sale lately! How about you? What are your favorite fall fruits and veggies? I also love me some Acorn squash, pears, persimmons, dates, and pomegranates as well. Wholesome bowls with the current season in mind is definitely the way to go.

As for Brussel Sprouts, this Nourish Bowl is one of my favorite ways to incorporate this healthy cruciferous vegetable into my whole food plant-based diet.

Brussel Sprouts are full of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. And when prepared properly, they are also freaking delicious. Enjoy!

Nourish Bowl - Makes 2 bowls

• 2 cups cooked quinoa

• 2 cups Brussel Sprouts, washed, ends trimmed off and cut in half

• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 4 cups of kale, shredded

• 1/2 cup of sauerkraut, divided

• 1 Tb of BBQ sauce of choice or Korean gochujang paste

• 1 Tb coconut aminos ( tamari or soy sauce can be used instead )

• 2 tsp roasted sesame seeds or furikaki, divided

• 1 avocado cut in half and sliced

• 1 lemon sliced in half

• Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing ( recipe can be found on my “Dressings” page. Link HERE )

*Preheat oven to 375F and cook quinoa according to the package instructions.

*Put washed and sliced Brussel Sprouts in a medium-size bowl and add 1 Tb of coconut aminos and the juice of 1/2 of a lemon. Next, spread Brussel Sprouts on a parchment-lined baking tray.

*Place one can of rinsed and drained chickpeas in the medium-size bowl and toss with 1 Tb of BBQ sauce or gochujang paste until well coated. Place chickpeas on a second parchment-lined baking tray.

*Put baking trays in your pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes or until desired “crispiness” has been reached.

*Place shredded kale in a medium-size bowl and squeeze the remaining lemon half over the kale. Massage the lemon juice into the kale and set aside.

To Assemble Nourish Bowl

Separate the kale into 2 medium-size serving bowls. Add 1 cup of cooked quinoa on top of the kale. Next, divide the Brussel sprouts and BBQ chickpeas and arrange them in the serving bowls. Top Nourish Bowl with 1/2 of a sliced avocado, 1/4 of a cup of sauerkraut, 1 tsp sesame seeds, or furikaki and Tahini Miso Dressing.

Late Season Spicy Gazpacho

For those of you that aren’t quite ready for “fall-themed” foods ( meaning, pumpkin spice on everything LOL ) This is a great way to use up those ripe, late summer tomatoes and make a delicious light lunch. I feel like this gazpacho is best when it has a few hours to sit and “marinate” in the fridge. If you aren’t into spicy foods, you can easily skip the sambal or sriracha that I’m obsessed with. No strict rules here so enjoy!

Late Season Spicy Gazpacho - makes approximately 6 servings

• 32 oz tomato organic juice

• 5 large tomatoes - scored, blanched, peeled, and diced

• 1 large seeded cucumber, diced ( I left the skin on )

• 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced

• 3 cloves of garlic minced

• 1/2 of a large red onion, diced

• 1/2 cup of Italian basil, chopped

• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped ( cilantro haters can omit )

• 2 Tbs aged balsamic vinegar

• 2 Tbs olive oil

• 2 Tbs sambal or sriracha for heat ( a finely diced jalapeno could work in space of this )

• juice of 1/2 of a large lemon

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

To Make

*Bring water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Score ( cut an X ) on the bottom of each tomato and place in boiling water for 30 seconds. Quickly drain tomatoes and place in an ice bath until cool. Peel skin off of the blanched tomatoes and finely dice and place in a large bowl

*Finely dice a seeded cucumber, 1/2 of green bell pepper, and 1/2 of red onion and add to the large bowl with the tomatoes. Pour in the tomato juice and add the remaining ingredients. Stir and taste. Adjust spice, salt, and pepper if needed.

***Optional - I like to take an emulsion blender to this recipe at the very end. I just submerge it in the finished soup and pulse it a few times to break down the veggies just a little bit more. This step is completely optional. You can get the same effect by pulsing just half of the finished gazpacho in a medium speed blender and then combining it with the unblended half.

To serve

*ladle gazpacho into a shallow soup bowl. Top with chopped basil and/or chives and drizzle a little olive oil on top. Cubed or sliced avocado is a nice addition as well.

Sushi Burritos

Ya I know, it’s basically a massive sushi roll but that’s the whole point ( LOL ) The awesome thing about sushi burritos is that they are super easy to eat on the go ( no chopsticks needed! ) and super filling ( always very important! )

On this day, I made these rolls with basically all the leftover veggies I had in the fridge. However, feel free to add whatever types of fillings you like. I’ve added everything from steamed sweet potatoes, to beetroot hummus, to sriracha aioli, to Korean Gochujang paste. There’s really no rules except for the large size of the roll. The whole idea is that it’s very BIG so you can eat it like a burrito.

The trick is the extra sheet of nori in the rolling process. I included a picture below so you can see what I mean. The instructions are below.

How to Prepare Rice ( makes about 2 large sushi burritos or 3 medium sushi burritos )

• 1.5 cups short grain rice ( white or brown )

• 1/4 cup seasoned sushi vinegar

• prepping sushi rice - I made my rice in a rice cooker using 1.5 cups of short grain white rice. To flavor the rice, I used about 1/4 cup of Marukan’s Organic Seasoned Rice Vinegar Dressing. You don’t have to flavor your rice but it gives it that authentic sushi rice flavor we all know and love. If you can’t find a seasoned vinegar you can make your own using a mixture of rice wine vinegar, salt and sugar. If you need help, there are a ton of videos on how to make seasoned sushi rice on YouTube.

*To prepare, cook rice according to the instructions. When finished, spoon hot rice into a large shallow bowl and mix in flavored vinegar. Let rice cool to the touch before making your rolls. Next, Take about 3/4 cup to one cup of the cooked rice and spread evening over one sheet of nori. Add second sheet of nori to the very end of first sheet and seal with water.

*Next, add your fillings and roll up sushi roll.

*I like using a bamboo rolling mat because it helps in making a nice“tight” roll. Seal roll with a little bit of water at the end and then wrap finished roll in either parchment or wax paper. Slice in half for easy eating.

Here’s a list of the fillings I used today

• shredded purple cabbage

• shredded carrots

• avocado

• sliced cucumbers

• bell pepper

• cilantro

• Yuzu Furikake another good Furikake option HERE

Other awesome fillings you could use

• steamed and sliced sweet potatoes ( I love the purple variety here )

• sliced mango

• grilled tofu or tempeh

• grilled mushrooms

• sliced sushi ginger

• guacamole

• sunflower sprouts

• green onions or chives

ENJOY!

Vegan Banana Nut Muffins

Lightly sweet and filling, these are perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or a quick pre-surf snack. Feel free to indulge without any guilt because these delicious muffins are vegan, gluten-free, and free of processed sugar!

Vegan Banana Nut Muffins ( makes 12 medium size muffins )

*Pre-heat oven to 375F

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats ( ground first in a high-speed blender to make flour )

• 1.5 cup almond flour

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts ( optional )

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar

• 1.5 Tb baking powder

• 1.5 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp cardamon ( optional )

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

*Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Wet Ingredients

• 2 overripe bananas ( very mashed )

• 1 cup nut milk ( I used almond milk )

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• coconut oil to grease muffin tins

*Mix wet ingredients until well combined and then mix into the dry mixture until a batter is formed.

*Grease muffin tins with coconut oil and then scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter into each tin.

*Bake for about 22-24 minutes at 375F until tops are slightly golden. Wait until muffins have cooled for about 30 minutes before removing from the pan. Keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Mushroom Risotto

Ever since having lunch at The Girl and Fig in Sonoma, I’ve been really craving risotto. But for whatever reason since I’ve been home, I’ve been putting off making it?

Why? Because in the past ( back when I was a vegetarian vs vegan ) it always seemed like such a labor-intensive dish? Well, I was wrong. Or maybe I was just making it wrong LOL? I dunno? But I’m so glad I finally decided to give it a go!

This Spinach and Mushroom Risotto is the bomb. It’s gooey, rich, warm and full of umami flavors. Honestly, it tastes like it’s really high fat but it’s really not. No dairy ( obvi ) but no “vegan cheese” either. However, I did use a good dollop of Miyoko’s vegan butter at the end. I believe this step is key so try not to skip it. I think this, combined with the creamy arborio rice really did the trick. This is so satisfying and delicious!

Spinach and Mushroom Risotto

• 1 cup Arborio rice

• 3 cups veggie stock - feel free to add more broth ( or water ) about halfway through cooking if needed

• 1 tbs olive oil

• 3 tbs dry white wine ( optional )

• 1 large diced white or yellow onion

• 5 cloves minced garlic

• 2.5 cups sliced mushrooms ( I like Cremini )

• 1/4 tsp salt ( feel free to add more at the end if needed )

• 1/4 tsp pepper

Added near the end of cooking

• 2 cups chopped spinach

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

• 2 tbs vegan butter 

• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice

In a large pot on medium-high heat, saute onions and garlic with salt and pepper until translucent ( about 5-7 mins )

Add white wine, add sliced mushrooms and saute another 2-3 mins

Add veggie broth and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15- 20 mins. Stirring occasionally.

Add chopped spinach, yeast, butter, and lemon juice and stir until incorporated. Add more broth or water if needed. Cover and simmer another 10 minutes or so. Taste, and add additional salt/pepper if needed.

Top with chopped fresh parsley or minced chives

Enjoy!

I Love

November wrap up

Kula grown Proteas at the Upcountry Farmer’s Market

Acacia Swimwear’s new flagship shop in Paia

Persimmons hitting the local markets!

Hanging at the pool with my husband

My custom vegan pizza at Honu in Lahaina.