Quinao Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Yields 3-4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup solid coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (cooked only in water, not broth) – see note
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, silpat liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the oil and honey with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the flour, salt and baking soda until just combined and a few streaks of dry flour remain. Add the oats, quinoa, flax, chia seeds, almonds, cherries or cranberries and chocolate chips and mix by hand gently (so the dough stays nice and fluffy) until the ingredients are pretty evenly mixed.
3. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to scoop the dough into 2-3 tablespoon-sized portions. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms are browned but the insides are still nice and soft. If you want a thinner cookie (instead of puffy), flatten slightly before baking.

Note: When measuring the cooked and cooled quinoa, don’t mash and compress it into the measuring cup. Spoon it into the cup and lightly press so it stays fluffy.

Spanhetti Squash Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 cups marinara sauce
3 cups roasted spaghetti squash*
1 cup part-skim ricotta
6 oz part-skim mozzarella, shredded

*For directions on how to roast spaghetti squash, click here 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Ladle 1 cup marinara sauce on bottom of dish
3. Top with 2 cups of cooked spaghetti squash, spreading evenly
4. Top with 1 cup ricotta, remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese
5. Cover with foil and bake 15-20 minutes (until cheese is melted and edges begin to bubble).
6. Uncover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Easy Tofu Pad Thai

Ingredients

SAUCE

• 1 ½ tsp tamarind paste / concentrate* (or sub additional 1 Tbsp / 15 ml lime juice as recipe is written)
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos (or sub half the amount with tamari or soy sauce and work your way up as it’s saltier)
• 3 ½ Tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 ½ tsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 ½ Tbsp lime juice
• 1-2 tsp Vegetarian Fish Sauce ( or store-bought // optional)

STIR FRY

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil (if avoiding oil, omit and use a nonstick pan)
• 1 cup cubed extra firm tofu
• 2 Thai red chilies (fresh or dried), chopped OR 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves yield ~1 Tbsp or 6 g)
• 1 Tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari)
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1/3 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts

NOODLES

• 8 ounces Pad Thai rice noodles (We like Annie Chun’s brand)

FOR SERVING optional

• Lime wedges
• Bean sprouts
• Peanut sauce
• Shredded carrot
• Cilantro
• Sriracha or Chili Garlic Sauce (we like Huy Fong Foods brand)

Instructions

1. To a small saucepan, add tamarind, coconut aminos, coconut sugar, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, and vegetarian fish sauce (optional) and heat over medium heat until just simmering. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally, then turn off heat. Set aside.
2. Ensure all stir fry ingredients are prepped, including cubed (briefly pressed) tofu, chopped green onions, minced garlic, bean sprouts, and chopped peanuts. If serving with peanut sauce (optional), prepare at this time.
3. Add Pad Thai noodles to a large bowl and cover with just boiling water. Stir and cover and cook according to package instructions (usually about 5-6 minutes or until al dente).
4. Drain noodles and toss with a little sesame oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
5. Heat a large-rimmed skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and tofu and sauté for about 4 minutes, turning occasionally so it browns on all sides. Add red pepper flakes or Thai chilies, garlic, and coconut aminos (be careful, as the coconut aminos can splatter). Toss gently to combine until garlic is just slightly browned. 
6. Add noodles, Pad Thai sauce, bean sprouts, green onions, and peanuts and cook over medium-high heat, tossing occasionally (tongs are most useful) for about 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has coated everything and the dish is hot.
7. To serve, plate with additional garnishes such as lime wedges, bean sprouts, peanut sauce, shredded carrot, cilantro, and sriracha or chili garlic sauce (all optional).
8. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for approximately 3-4 days.

Notes

*Tamarind comes in many forms, including fresh, paste, concentrate, sauce, and more. We have made Pad Thai with mainly paste, sauce, and concentrate, all of which produce varied results. However, the tamarind concentrate linked above produces consistently good results. It’s concentrated, which is why the recipe only calls for a small amount. However, if using more of a “sauce” — which should have a lighter consistency and color — feel free to add more to taste. Tamarind adds a tartness to the sauce, which can be enhanced or mocked with lime juice in a pinch.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with brown rice Pad Thai noodles and without optional ingredients or garnishes.

5 Ingredient White Chicken Chili

To make this white chicken chili recipe, you will need the following five ingredients (plus optional toppings):

• Chicken: Any kind of diced or shredded chicken!  I typically shred a rotisserie, or I often use leftover chicken that I keep in the freezer from my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or Baked Chicken Breasts recipe.
• Salsa verde: Either homemade or store-bought.
• Beans: Two cans of your choice of beans.  (I typically use white beans, but pinto, garbanzo or black beans would be delicious too.)
• Chicken stock: Or veggie stock, whichever you prefer.
• Cumin: Plus a few teaspoons of ground cumin, to round out the flavors.
• Toppings: I also usually top my white chicken chili with some diced avocado and chopped fresh cilantro.  But a crumble of tortilla chips, diced red or green onions, sour cream, shredded cheese, and/or extra jalapeños would also be delicious additions!

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Yields about 6 servings 

Ingredients:

2 T butter
2 onions chopped
2 C butternut squash, peeled and diced*
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
3 T flour*
2 t curry powder
Pinch nutmeg
3 C chicken stock
1.5 C milk*
1 orange; grated rind and juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: heavy cream and parsley for serving

Directions: 
1. Saute onions in the butter until soft and flavorful. Add the butternut squash and apple, saute to absorb the butter and develop flavors (about 3 minutes), stirring lightly from time to time
2. Add flour, curry powder and nutmeg, blending with vegetables
3. Add chicken stock, milk, orange rind and juice. Simmer slower for about 15-20 minutes until vegetables are tender
4. Liquidize the solids in food processor or use an immersion blender in the pot 
5. Taste, then add salt and pepper

Optional: Serve with a dollop of cream and sprinkling of parsley

Notes:
1. Substitute almond flour and unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk) to make it Whole30 compliant
2. This soup improves with keeping. Prepare a day or two in advance if time allows. Keep refrigerated. 
3. I like to double this recipe, save some for leftovers and some to freeze for future meals.

Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Ingredients

PASTA

• 2 (~119 g each) red bell peppers
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium shallots* (finely chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic* (finely chopped)
• Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Original Almond Breeze Almond Milk
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder (or other thickener of choice)
• 1 pinch red pepper flake (optional // for heat)
• 12 ounces gluten-free linguini or spaghetti noodles (or other noodle of choice)

FOR SERVING optional

• Vegan parmesan cheese
• Finely chopped fresh parsley or basil

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees F (260 C) and roast red peppers on a baking sheet until charred - about 25-30 minutes. Cover in foil for 10 minutes to steam, then remove (peel away) charred skin, seeds and stems. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain, toss in a touch of olive oil, cover with a towel and set aside.
3. While the red peppers are roasting, bring a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until golden brown and soft - about 4-5 minutes. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Transfer sautéed shallot and garlic to blender with roasted peppers, almond milk, red pepper flake, nutritional yeast and cornstarch. Season with desired amount of salt, pepper, and red pepper flake.
5. Blend until creamy and smooth, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt and pepper or nutritional yeast for flavor. You want the flavor to be pretty robust and strong since the noodles don't have much flavor - so be generous with your seasonings.
6. Once blended, place sauce back in the skillet over medium heat to thicken. Once it reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and continue simmering.
7. Once sauce is thickened to desired consistency (see photo), add noodles. However, before tossing add a touch more olive oil, salt and pepper to the un-tossed noodles for added flavor. Then, toss to coat.
8. Serve with (generous amounts of) vegan parmesan, red pepper flake, and fresh chopped parsley or basil.

Notes

*2 shallots yield ~1/4 cup finely chopped.
*4 garlic cloves yield ~2 Tbsp minced.
*Inspired by/loosely adapted from Lauren's Latest
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.