Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal

So I have never been a fan of oatmeal, like ever. I always wanted to like it, but there was something about the texture that I just couldn't get past. Also, the taste wasn't my favorite either. Well, I have found 3 different oatmeal recipes that I like. I'll share this one first, and the other two down the road.

Recipe and picture from: chocolatecoveredkatie.com

1/2 cup of oats
1 heaping Tbs of brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup milk
1-2 Tbs of coconut oil (melted)
1/4 tsp vanilla
handful of chocolate chips
extra milk if wanted

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, and salt. Add the rest of your ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased ramekin and bake for 20 min. After 20 min, turn your oven to broil, and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Pour into a bowl, top with chocolate chips, and extra milk if desired.

Cheese Burger Wrap

Recipe and pic from maplespice.com

My family and I really enjoy the Crunch Wrap Supreme that I already  have on this site, so when I saw this recipe for a cheese burger wrap, I knew I wanted to try it. We left the cheese off of Jared's to make it vegan, but the rest of us felt like it was a great way to eat a vegetarian cheese burger! Also, we folded our wraps in a pentagon shape (just like with the crunch wrap supremes) instead of folding it like a burrito. But by all mean, fold it however you want!

1 pkg. Morning Star Crumbles
1 Tbs olive oil
half of an onion chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper (and any other grilling or meat spices you have)
sliced pickles
ice berg lettuce torn
slices of cheese
ketchup and mustard
large flour tortillas

On medium heat, saute your onion in olive oil until the onion is soft to your liking. Once the onion is close, add your garlic for about 30 seconds, then add your crumbles. Once the crumbles have completely defrosted, you can season with salt, pepper, and any other spices. Set aside.

Put a frying pan on medium heat, then assemble your ingredients in the middle of your tortilla in this order: lettuce, crumbles, cheese, pickles, ketchup and mustard. Then fold your tortilla in a burrito, or pentagon shape and place seam down in the hot pan. Let sit for about 2 minutes until it begins to brown and is sealed. Flip over, and repeat on the other side. Once both sides are browned, remove from pan and enjoy!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Quesadilla

I love, love roasted sweet potatoes, they are so yummy. I could totally just eat them all off of the pan! Here is different and yummy way to make a quesadilla. I adapted my Fire Roasted Green Chili Enchilada recipe to make it quicker and more kid friendly.

1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1-2 large cloves of garlic minced, or pressed
1 small can fire roasted green chili's
1 lime
1/2 tsp or less, or curry or chili powder
1/2 tsp or less cumin
1 Tbs. olive or coconut oil.
whole wheat tortillas
cheese

Preheat your oven to 400. Mix your cubed sweet potatoes with the oil, chili powder, and cumin. Also season with a little salt and pepper. Spread out on a cookie sheet and cook for about 20 min, stirring or shaking the pan at the 10 min mark. When done, set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine black beans, garlic, green chili's, and juice from half of the lime. Mix well. When sweet potatoes have cooled a bit, add them to mixture and stir to combine. Use this as your quesadilla filling. I like to spread the mixture on half, sprinkle cheese on top, then fold the other half over.

Curry with Black Eye Peas, and Potatoes

I know, I do TONS of curry recipes! But they are always vegan, and Jared loves them so we try a lot in this house! This one was a little different than the others since I used red potatoes, and spinach! This recipe is from theppk.com

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons mild curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 red potatoes, cut in 3/4 inch pieces

2 cups spinach, chopped. Or your can use kale, or collard greens

1 can coconut milk

1 1/2 cups cooked black eyed peas (from a 15 oz can, rinsed and drained)

Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Saute the onion in the coconut oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until onion is lightly browned.

Add the garlic and ginger, and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of curry powder, garam masala, salt, vegetable broth, agave, and tomato paste, and stir. The tomato paste may not dissolve just yet but that’s ok, it will when it heats through.

Add the potatoes, cover pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately lower heat to a simmer, and leave the lid ajar so that steam can escape. Let potatoes cook just until tender, about 5 more minutes.

In the meantime, toss together all of the salsa ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Once potatoes are fork tender, add the spinach, black-eyed peas and coconut milk. Stir gently to incorporate. Leave lid ajar again, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer, it should only take a few minutes.

Serve with with jasmine, or brown rice.

Quinoa Black Bean and Corn Taco's

This is another recipe I found on Pinterest. We bought a huge bag of quinoa at Costco for $10 so I have been trying to find different ways to use it. I threw it in our chili, we had it in wraps, and then I tried this recipe. I think the filling would also be good on a tostada! Enjoy! Recipe and picture from cookingclassy.com

• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1 (14.5) oz can diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

• Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium high heat. Once hot, add onion and saute until golden and tender, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Stir in broth, diced tomatoes, cooked quinoa, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover saucepan with lid and simmer about 20 minutes, until mixture has thickened.
• Stir in corn and black beans and simmer, uncovered 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in lime juice and cilantro. Serve warm over tortillas with desired toppings.

Spicy Bean and Rice Burritos

1 box spanish rice cooked per intructions
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans drained
1-2 Tbs. Adobo sauce (depending on how spicy you want them)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbs. oil
1/2 cup water
whole wheat tortillas
shredded cheese, and anything else you like on your burritos!

I start my rice before I do anything else because it takes about 30 min. to cook. I have also found that I don't quite use all the rice it makes. I probably use 3/4's of it. Saute your garlic in the oil for about a minute on medium heat, then add your beans, spices, adobo sauce, and water. Mix well. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once your rice is done, add it to your bean mixture and mix well. Top with cheese, and any other topping you want, then put in a tortilla!

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Curry

Recipe and Picture from Noreencooks.com

Another Curry recipe! One of the reasons I try so many curry recipes is because so many of them are vegan! I have tried even more than I have put on this blog. Only my favorites make the cut. You can serve this with naan, brown rice, or jasmine rice.

1 onion diced
1 head of cauliflower cut into small florets
1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed
1 can chick peas rinsed and drained
1 can coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp. Garam Masala
1/2 to 1 Tbs. curry powder (I probably used about a little more than a half)
salt to taste

I cooked this is a large pan on the stove, but I also think you could do this in your crockpot on high for 3-4 hours. I would just cook the onion first.

Heat 1-2 Tbs. olive oil in a large sauce pan, or pot and saute onions until they become soft. Add curry, and garam masala and stir well for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, broth, sweet potato, and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, cover, then let simmer until vegetables become soft. I think ours took about 30 min on medium low heat. When your veggies are soft, add the chick peas and heat though. Season with salt and serve!