Stovetop Gluten-Free Beef and Vegetable Stew

The post Stovetop Gluten-Free Beef and Vegetable Stew appeared first on Inspiralized.

Zucchini and Harissa Couscous

The post Zucchini and Harissa Couscous appeared first on Inspiralized.

Carrot and Potato Chickpea Curry with Lentils

As much as I love to cook, I don’t have the time for as many from scratch meals these days and I’m leaning in on the premade jarred sauces. And you know what… I have no shame!

As a busy mom of four, I can take any hacks for simplifying mealtimes. I love this curry sauce for throwing together a quick weeknight curry.

If you wanted to save time, ditch the roasting of the veggies and just simmer them in the sauce for 20 minutes. You’ll want to add 2-3 cups of extra liquid (vegetable broth) to give the vegetables something to soak up, but just simmer and serve!

I’d love to hear some of your favorite convenience items you incorporate into your weekly meals!

Watch our video for this recipe and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos:

Print

Carrot and Potato Chickpea Curry with Lentils

Ingredients

• 3 whole carrots sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 pound potatoes medium-cubed (I like using New/baby potatoes)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups dry brown lentils
• 1 12.5- ounce jar Maya Kaimal Madras Curry Simmer Sauce
• 1 15- ounce can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen peas
• chopped cilantro to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the carrots and potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are fork tender, tossing every 10 minutes to reduce burning.
• While vegetables roast, cook the lentils according to package directions. Also, pour the curry sauce into a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add in the chickpeas and peas and let cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Once vegetables and lentils are done cooking, add the vegetables to the pot with the chickpeas, stir well, and bring back up to medium-high heat and let simmer for 3-5 more minutes. Turn off heat, garnish with cilantro and serve over the cooked lentils.

The post Carrot and Potato Chickpea Curry with Lentils appeared first on Inspiralized.

Shrimp, Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlicky Lemon Cream Sauce with Couscous

If you’re ever been worried you’ll overcook shrimp, you’re going to love this recipe. Anything in a cream sauce has enough moisture to canvas any overcooking!

This shrimp dish is a 30 minute weeknight wonder kind of meal, made with a coconut milk and vegetable broth-based cream sauce, so it’s dairy-free and light on the stomach (no discomfort from heavy cream!) The garlic, oregano, and lemon are all you need to create a sumptuous, delectable sauce.

Arrowroot is a thickening agent, but if you can’t access it, you can replace with cornstarch! But do yourself a favor and purchase arrowroot – it’s a less processed version of cornstarch, and gluten-free, so even less likely to cause blood sugar spikes.

Regardless, you’ve got tomatoes, spinach, and onions with this quickly simmered shrimp, all served over pillowy couscous. I’m having a moment with pearl couscous – it’s just too good!

Build this into your weeknight rotation – and frankly, you can make this with a flaky cod as well (you’ll need to cook cod a bit longer.)

Print

Shrimp, Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlicky Lemon Cream Sauce with Couscous

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry pearl couscous
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 (15oz) can lite coconut milk
• 1 pinch dried oregano (about 1/4 teaspoon) 
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1.5 - 2 pounds deveined, cleaned shrimp (tails on or off)
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 lemon
• red pepper flakes to garnish

Instructions

• Cook the couscous according to package directions. Cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add the onions and garlic and cook until onions soften, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and coconut milk, oregano, and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 2 minutes for flavors to develop and add in the arrowroot powder, whisking until sauce is slightly thickened. Add the tomatoes stir, and let cook for 5 minutes or until tomatoes are just about fork tender. Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Once tomatoes are just about fork tender, add the spinach, stir well, and then add in the shrimp, nestling into the sauce. Cook for 2 minutes, flip, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque. Squeeze over the lemon and give a big stir. Garnish with red pepper flakes.
• Divide the cooked couscous into two bowls and top evenly with shrimp mixture. 

The post Shrimp, Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlicky Lemon Cream Sauce with Couscous appeared first on Inspiralized.

Roasted Veggie Thai Red Curry with Beluga Lentils

I’ve been making Thai curries for years – they’re one of my favorite meals to make when I just don’t know what to have for dinner. I always have some sort of veggie (frozen or fresh) on hand and always a couple jars of curry paste.

Usually, I simmer the veggies in the sauce (which infuses them with so much flavor) for ease and to make it a one-pot meal. After trying to use up leftover roasted veggies the other night, I discovered the powerful combo of roasted veggies in the curry sauce. It’s a game changer!

Roasting the veggies allows you to add some texture, extra flavor, and frankly looks prettier. You can also adjust the tenderness of the veggies. If you like a crunchier cauliflower or a firmer sweet potato, for example, you can adjust accordingly.

You can make this with a green curry sauce too, but I love the rich color of the red curry here. And let’s chat black lentils, also known as beluga lentils (because they resemble caviar.) They hold their shape well and I love their consistency with curries, they’re less overwhelming than a brown lentil which seems thicker on the palate.

Hopefully you give this recipe a try and convert to a roasted veggie curry fan like us!

Print

ROASTED VEGGIE THAI RED CURRY with BELUGA LENTILS

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 small florets from cauliflower heads
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• 1 large russet potato, cubed
• 1 cup dry beluga lentils
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste (or more if you like spice!)
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 cup vegetable broth (or 2 if you like a more soup-like curry)
• freshly chopped mint and cilantro to garnish
• red pepper flakes to garnish

Instructions

• cook the vegetables. preheat the oven to 425 degrees. on a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with a generous drizzle of olive oil, half of the garlic powder, salt and pepper. roast for 10 minutes. while the cauliflower roasts, toss the potatoes in a bowl with some olive oil, the remaining garlic powder, salt, and pepper. spread the potatoes out on the baking sheet with the cauliflower and roast together for 30 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through.
• in a medium pot, boil 4 cups of water. once boiling, add the lentils, reduce heat to a medium simmer, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until lentils are tender (not mushy, but not crunchy.)
• while veggies and lentils cook, prepare the curry broth. in a large pot, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. once oil is shimmering, add the garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until onions are soft. add the curry paste, stir until garlic and onions are coated and then add in the coconut milk and broth. stir well and bring to a boil. once boiling, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes for flavor's sake. turn the heat off and cover to keep warm.
• once veggies and lentils are done, add the veggies to the pot with the broth (heat up the broth first if it's too cool for your liking) and stir well to coat.
• scoop lentils into bowls and top with the vegetables in curry sauce. garnish with mint and cilantro and red pepper flakes. serve.

The post Roasted Veggie Thai Red Curry with Beluga Lentils appeared first on Inspiralized.

One Pot Cod and Potato Stew with Chickpeas

The other day, I ordered salmon, as I tend to do weekly. The fish monger called me to let me know that the salmon was out of stock and they only had cod. Womp, womp. Cod doesn’t excite me, and I usually just use cod for fish tacos.

But then I put on my food blogger hat and decided to make lemonade out of lemons and came up with this cod stew, simply out of what was in my pantry!

Don’t understand jarred roasted red peppers – they’re such a great addition to so many dishes, from tacos to fajitas to stir fries to this stew. I love the red color in the stew and the softness of the peppers with the firmness of the potatoes and chickpeas.

Just a bit of smoked paprika and garlic is all you need to build a fragrant, flavorful stew that comes together quickly in one pan. Make it on a weeknight, I dare you!

Print

One Pot Cod and Potato Stew with Chickpeas

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2.5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 pound baby potatoes, halved
• 10 ounces sliced roasted red peppers (from a jar)
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• pepper
• 1 pound skinless cod cut into 4 4-ounce filets (can make this serve 6 people by adding two more 4-ounce filets)
• salt and pepper
• 1 small lemon, juiced
• chopped parsley, to garnish

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large deep skillet. Once oil is shimmering, add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add the smoked paprika, stir, and add in the tomato sauce, broth, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, add in the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes and then add the peppers, chickpeas, salt, season with pepper and cook another5 minutes. Add in the cod and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily and potatoes are fork tender.Remove from heat, pour over the lemon juice, garnish with parsley, and serve.

The post One Pot Cod and Potato Stew with Chickpeas appeared first on Inspiralized.

I know, I know, we try to turn our ovens off during the summer months and hit the grill. Well, for me, I still keep using the oven all summer long, because I love to be outside in our backyard while the food’s cooking inside!

This baked stew is as easy as it gets. Everything is stirred together in a baking dish and baked in the oven. Truly, that’s it. The potatoes and zucchini are added at separate times than the beef and carrots just for cooking times, but other than that, it’s a set it and forget it kind of meal.

Summer potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and basil fortify this dish and add a nutritious and colorful boost.

You can swap out the vegetables during other times of year for a more wintry or autumn mix. But for now, add this dish to your must-make list! Crusty bread for serving, always.

Print

Summer Baked Beef Stew

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 cup beef broth, low-sodium
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste
• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 bagged carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 pound baby new potatoes
• 2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into¼-inch thick half moons
• freshly sliced basil for serving

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400^oF
• In a large bowl, crush the tomatoes with your hands and add in the, garlic, broth, Worcestershire sauce, arrowroot, salt, and season with pepper.
• Place the beef and carrots in a 9 x 13 baking dish and evenly pour over the broth mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.Uncover, fold in the potatoes, and cook another 60 to 80 minutes (uncovered) or until meat and potatoes are tender, stirring halfway through. Uncover, taste, and if needs more salt, season with more salt and then add the zucchini and give a big stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes for the zucchini to soften.Garnish with basil and serve.

The post Summer Baked Beef Stew appeared first on Inspiralized.

Creamy Vegan Broccoli and Tempeh Bacon Pasta

Who doesn’t love a creamy pasta? And what better way to enjoy it than with a plant based cream sauce? Using cashews that have been soaked, garlic, and nutritional yeast, you can get a creamy, dairy-tasting sauce without the dairy.

With tender roasted broccoli and smoky tempeh bacon (I love the Lightlife brand, but use any you like!), it’s a perfect pasta dish with every forkful offering a nutritious boost.

Switch it up by using tofu, beans, or any other protein on top – and yes, if you’re a meat eater, this is still a great recipe to make (rotisserie chicken would work well, too!)

Bookmark this recipe if not for the entire dish, but for the cream sauce – this makes a lot of extra cream sauce, so save the rest for other meals!

Print

Creamy Vegan Broccoli and Tempeh Bacon Pasta

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 12 ounces broccoli florets
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + more to drizzle
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt + more to taste
• pepper
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 6 hours (preferably overnight)
• 1 package Lightlife Tempeh Bacon slices
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 8-ounce box rotini or penne
• red pepper flakes to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the broccoli. Drizzle with some olive oil and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss well to coat and lay out in the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes or until fork tender, shaking the pan every 10 minutes so the broccoli doesn’t burn.
• While broccoli cooks, drain and rinse the cashews and place in a high-speed blender. Set aside.
• Bring a medium pot filled halfway with water to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain into a colander.
• As you wait for the water to boil, place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in the tempeh slices. Cook for 3to 5 minutes, flip, and cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until crispy. Using tongs, set aside on a plate. You may have to cook in batches. Immediately add the oil to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Once the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Turn off the heat, stir in the oregano, and transfer to the blender along with ¾ cup of water and the lemon juice, salt, and nutritional yeast.Season with pepper, blend until smooth, uncover, taste, and adjust with more salt if needed. Set aside.
• After draining the pasta, add it back to the pot used to boil it. Add half of the cashew cream sauce, broccoli, and half of the bacon, breaking it up into pieces with your fingers (or scissors) as you add it to the pot. Stir the pasta well to combine. Reserve the cream sauce for future use or add more if you like more creaminess.
• Divide the pasta into bowls and top with remaining bacon, breaking into pieces with your fingers. Garnish with red pepper flakes and serve.

The post Creamy Vegan Broccoli and Tempeh Bacon Pasta appeared first on Inspiralized.

Everyone needs a chili recipe. Whether that’s a meat packed chili, a veggie chili, or a combo – chilis are always in style and a crowd pleaser.

I’ve been making this quinoa chili for years, and it’s always filling, flavorful, and fridge friendly. Meal plan the week with this chili, made with all the greats – zucchini, peppers, carrots, and onions.

When I’m making this for my kids, I halve the chili powder and add red pepper flakes to the adults’ portions for that extra spice kick. It has a Mexican-inspired flavor, but if you prefer an Italian-style chili, opt for an Italian seasoning and a bit more garlic!

The best part of chilis? The fixings! Top with your favorites or eat this chili “neat” without any toppings, if that’s your jam!

Recipe

Print

Pressure Cooker Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 26 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 loose carrots, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 2 red bell peppers diced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 15.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, no sodium added
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• to serve: lime wedges avocado, cilantro, tortilla crisps

Instructions

• Set the pressure cooker to "Saute" function. Once water flicked into the pot sizzles, add the oil, garlic, onion, carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper and stir well, letting cook 1 minute or until fragrant.
• Add the vegetable broth, immediately scraping the bottom of the pan to scrape up any brown bits. Add the quinoa, tomato sauce, and tomatoes. Cover and seal the pressure cooker. Cook on High pressure for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, manually release the pressure, turn the pressure cooker to Off, and stir in the beans and corn. Cover the pressure cooker and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Uncover, taste, and adjust with more salt if needed.
• Divide into bowls and serve with lime wedges, avocado, cilantro, and tortilla crisps.

The post Pressure Cooker Vegetarian Quinoa Chili appeared first on Inspiralized.

Lu’s Favorite Margarita

I’m going to preface this recipe by saying that you can probably find the exact one somewhere else on the Internet. Margaritas are pretty basic. I’ve been testing out portions of tequila to lime to Cointreau to sweetener for years, and I feel like I finally found what works. I’m sure many others have discovered this ratio, but I wanted to share it with you, since you’re here for my preferences!

Lu and I are tequila obsessed. I swear a tequila soda or a great tequila on the rocks (like a Clase Asul) doesn’t yield a hangover. We dream of going on a Mexico trip to taste tequilas.

If you’re looking for a go-to margarita recipe, this is it! It’s tried and true. The only caveat: the sweetener! We use agave at home, but you could use a simple syrup that you like. I hate sweet drinks, so this is pretty tart (but not uncomfortably so.) If you want it sweeter, the great thing is – you can add more sweetener!

Make this spicy by adding a few jalapeno slices into the shaker and shaking for another 15 seconds (to really heat up those jalapenos and let their juices run into the drink) and then garnish with 1 or 2 extra. Oh, and add a spicy rim if you’re really into a kick!

Okay, now I want a margarita. Cheers!

Print

Lu's Favorite Margarita

Servings 2 drinks

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons blanco tequila
• 2 tablespoons Cointreau 
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (save the juiced limes to yield 2 wedges used for garnish)
• 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar (or a full teaspoon, if you like sweeter drinks)

Instructions

• Fill a cocktail shaker 1/3 of the way full with ice. Add the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and agave. Place the top on the shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Pour a little out, taste, and if it's too tart for you, add another drop or two of agave and shake again. Fill two glasses with ice and pour over the margarita. Garnish with a lime and enjoy. Note: if you want a salt rim, run a cut lime along the rim of the glass, turn over, and dip into a plate with a thin layer of salt. 

The post Lu’s Favorite Margarita appeared first on Inspiralized.

Thai Lentil Curry Soup with Kale and Sweet Potatoes

Thai curry paste isn’t just for curries and noodle dishes, Thai flavor from curry paste is delicious in a soup, with some coconut milk to balance out the heat and plenty of veggies to soak up the flavor.

This soup is a very loose interpretation of a Thai-inspired lentil soup! Kale soaks up the curry broth, sweet potatoes soften and add a little sweetness, and altogether, it’s a protein and veggie packed meal you may not have thought to make.

The spice level here is perfect, and it makes for the kind of soup you wanted to savor every spoonful! It’s also one pot, which is ideal, and saves well! I even love this heated up with a cup of white rice.

If you’d like to switch it up, you can use butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes or make this a more summer-friendly version with spinach and green beans! However you enjoy it, I hope it makes it into your soup rotation all year long!

Print

Thai Lentil Curry Soup with Kale and Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 13.5 ounce can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, shaken well
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 large sweet potato diced
• 1-1.5 tablespoons red curry paste 1.5 is pretty spicy, but if you love spice, it’s perfect!
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• ¾ cup lentils
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups finely chopped curly kale
• handful of cilantro for garnish
• 1 lime quartered for serving

Instructions

• Set aside 4 tablespoons of the coconut milk (it will be used as a drizzle on top at the end.)
• Ina large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add the onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.Add the sweet potatoes and curry paste and stir until vegetables are coated in the paste and fold in the lentils. Add coconut milk, broth, lentils, season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil and once boiling, reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils and sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in the kale and let wilt for about 2 minutes.
• Divide the soup into bowls and top with cilantro, a tablespoon drizzle of reserved coconut milk per bowl, and serve with lime wedges.

The post Thai Lentil Curry Soup with Kale and Sweet Potatoes appeared first on Inspiralized.

I love making salmon in the air fryer, because it’s very hands-off and allows you to perfectly cook the salmon on the inside, while maintaining a slightly crispy texture on the outside. It’s the best of both worlds and air frying is easy – just spritz the air fryer tray with cooking spray, place in the salmon, and start!

You can definitely cook the salmon in the curry sauce, but I find that cooking the salmon separately yields a better texture (and flavor!) Plus, as you cook the salmon, you make the curry sauce, so everything comes together in the end at the same time.

Cauliflower soaks up the curry flavors as it cooks and softens, so every bite has a bit of curry. Don’t skip the fresh herbs, as they add a final burst of flavor and bring out the curry aromas. And of course, the rice soaks up more flavor for hearty bites.

Print

Air Fryer Salmon in Green Curry Cauliflower Sauce

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds skinless salmon cut into 4-inch pieces
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 2 small shallots minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
• 2 cups small cauliflower florets 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 15-ounce lite coconut milk
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• grated zest of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
• ¼ cup fresh Thai basil leaves
• 2 cups steamed jasmine rice
• 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

• Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
• Once air fryer is preheated, spritz the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray and add the salmon pieces. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked to your preference.
• Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower and curry paste and stir to coat.
• Add the coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and lime zest and season with salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for 10 minutes until the cauliflower is al dente or cooked to your preference, add the lime juice, stir, and add the cooked salmon. Top with cilantro, mint, and basil.
• Divide rice into bowls, top with a salmon portion and some cauliflower, and ladle over with the curry broth from the pan. Serve with lime wedges.

The post Air Fryer Salmon in Green Curry Cauliflower Sauce appeared first on Inspiralized.

You can top these on a Greek-inspired salad, roll them into a pita with some tzatziki or hummus, snack on them with some hummus and crunchy veggies, or even serve them over couscous, with a drizzle of tahini and feta. They’re versatile, packable, portable, and make a great kids’ lunch.

Lentils pack a bigger protein and fiber punch compared to chickpeas, so these lentil balls will definitely satisfy. Also, I love dipping falafel in hummus, but I always feel like I’m eating so many chickpeas – this adds a nice variety!

Pro tip: if you simply change the herbs and spices, you can make different versions of these lentil balls. Something Italian inspired with basil, parsley, garlic, and oregano! Something Mexican with cilantro, oregano, chili powder, and cumin! Make these yours.

Print

Lentil “Falafel” Balls

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 balls

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown lentils
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon cup rolled oats
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Place the lentils, 1.5 cups of water, and bay leaf in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and let cook until water evaporates and lentils are tender.
• While the lentils cook, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Once oil is shimmering, add the onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 5minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Once lentils, onions, and garlic are all cooked, transfer to a food processor with the rolled oats, eggs, coriander, cumin, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Pulse until able to be formed into balls. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Remove the lentil mixture from the fridge and roll into balls, placing the finished balls on the baking sheet.
• Cook the balls for 10 minutes, turn, and cook another 8 to 10 minutes or until balls are browned and firm.
• Serve the lentil balls over hummus, over a salad, in a pita, or simply with roasted vegetables and some tahini.

The post Lentil “Falafel” Balls appeared first on Inspiralized.

The air fryer gives the shrimp here that little touch of fry without any oil and cooks the shrimp quickly. First, you cook the bell peppers and onions in the air fryer, followed by the shrimp, and under 30 minutes, you have a filling, vegetable and protein packed meal.

Print

Air Fryer Blackened Shrimp Fajita Bowls

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• salt and pepper
• 2 bell peppers seeded and sliced thinly
• 1 medium onion sliced thinly
• 2 avocados
• 1 lime
• 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2-3 microwavable rice pouches or 1-1 ¼ cups cooked rice
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
• to garnish: sour cream or I love Sir Kensington’s chile limecrema sauce it’s dairy free!

Instructions

• Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl, toss together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the bell peppers, and the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the air fryer basket and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until softened and slightly browned on the edges. Transfer the peppers and onions to a bowl, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
• While peppers and onions cook, whisk together 1 table spoon of the olive oil, the chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and thyme. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.Once peppers and onions are done cooking, add in the shrimp and cook for 8minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until shrimp is opaque.
• While shrimp cooks, assemble the bowls. Peel, pit, and cube the avocado. Quarter the lime. Heat the remaining oil in a medium skillet and once oil is shimmering, add the black beans and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Cooking, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until beans and corn are warmed through.
• Cook the rice according to package instructions. Divide into bowls. Top with black bean mixture, cooked shrimp and veggies, avocado, salsa, and romaine lettuce. Drizzle with sour cream or crema.
• Serve with lime wedges.

The post Air Fryer Blackened Shrimp Fajita Bowls appeared first on Inspiralized.

I have to give the credit for this meal to Cardinal Provisions in Asbury Park, NJ. Lu and I went there and I ordered the “New Mexico Bowl” which is described with “bbq cauliflower, marinated greens, pickled jalapeños, crunchy slaw, rice and beans, green chili cashew crema.”

I love when restaurant menus give a detailed description of the menu item, so I can run home and recreate it. I’ve done my best, and this was certainly Lu approved (who also tasted the original version!) This is one of those vegan meals that you eat and go, “If I ate like this all the time, I could definitely be vegan!”

There are a couple of “secrets,” but I really think what brings it altogether are the spicy jalapeños. There’s something about this spicy kick that ties in with the cashew crema, which is made simply with cashews, lime juice, and green chiles.

The crema though – honestly, I’d double this recipe and keep a jar of it on hand to drizzle it on everything – salads, quesadillas and tacos, roasted veggies, whatever! It’s so simple, but so good!

When you go to bite into this, you’ll see what the hype is about – so much flavor, consistency, and so satisfying for a full vegan meal!

Print

BBQ Cauliflower and Kale Bowl with Green Chile Cashew Crema

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 6 cups raw cauliflower
• extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 4 packed cups kale
• 1 15.5-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cashews soaked for at least 6hours or overnight
• 1/3 cup water + 1 tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed limejuice
• 1.5 tablespoons canned mild greenchiles
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• ½ cup jarred jalapenos

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lay the cauliflower out on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway through, until cauliflower is fork tender and browned on edges. Once the cauliflower is done, pour into a large mixing bowl and drizzle with barbecue sauce and toss to coat.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl add the kale, drizzle lightly with olive oil and season slightly with salt. Using your hands, massage kale until all kale is coated in the oil and seems wilted, about3 minutes. Set aside.
• Make the crema. Place the cashews, water, lime juice, and chiles in the food processor, season with salt and process until smooth. Taste and adjust with more salt for flavor or more water to thin, if needed (it is meant to be a drizzly sauce!)
• Once the cauliflower is done, prepare your bowls. Equally divide the kale, rice, and beans among bowls. Add equal cauliflower and top with jalapenos. Drizzle with crema. Serve.

The post BBQ Cauliflower and Kale Bowl with Green Chile Cashew Crema appeared first on Inspiralized.

Growing up, my father would always order beef and broccoli from the Chinese restaurant in town. I never liked beef, so I’d always steal the broccoli – it was so juicy, tender, and I loved adding it to my fried rice.

This vegan version uses pan fried tempeh in place of beef, to give the same hearty texture of a meat without the meat. The tempeh is pan fried slightly just to get a crisp outer texture and cooked enough to give it a nice firmness and flavor. The teriyaki sauce does all of the work here and coats the broccoli and tempeh, so every forkful is flavorful.

I love serving these kind of stir fries over rice, but you can certainly serve it over noodles, cauliflower rice, quinoa, or just enjoy it as is, with no rice or grains. I’m a big fan of grains soaking up sauces, so that’s why I love my sauce-based stir fries over rice.

However you enjoy this, I hope it encourages you to try tempeh!

Print

Teriyaki Tempeh and Broccoli Stirfry

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce bag broccoli florets
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 8-ounce package tempeh sliced crosswise into1/4-inch thick slices
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

to serve

• cooked rice

to garnish

• white sesame seeds

Instructions

• Set up a steamer basket and steam the broccoli until fork-crisp or fork-tender (your preference), about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the tempeh. Cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Add the cooked broccoli and teriyaki sauce and toss gently. Reduce the heat to medium low and let cook for5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve the tempeh and broccoli over the rice and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve.

The post Teriyaki Tempeh and Broccoli Stirfry appeared first on Inspiralized.