fruit smoothie frozen bars

2 org. bananas

2 c. org. strawberries

1/2 c. org. mango

1/4 c. org. blueberries

1/2 c. org. unsweetened almond milk

Blend/Emulsify until smooth.

Pour into popsicle molds.

Freeze for 6-8 hours or overnight.

This recipe makes 6 large treats!

arancini (fried rice balls)

Ingredients

Sicilian Arancini in Marinara

1/2 c brown rice (cook rice per instructions)...
1/4 c mozzarella cheese shredded
1/2 c sweet peas (frozen, thawed)
pre-made Vegetarian Meat Crumbles (made from organ/textured soy crumbles)

1 T dry vegetarian stock
Italian spices and season to your taste

also: oat flour, flax eggs, bread crumbs

Sicilian Arancini w/ Collard Greens & Smart Bacon

Preparation
Mix and chill overnight or for up to 6 hours. Form rice balls, roll in oat flour, then in flax egg, then into seasoned bread crumbs. Fry until brown on medium-high heat. Let stand for 3-5 minutes. Serve with Marinara.

back to naturebox

Last month I renewed my subscription to Nature Box. Things have changed in the almost year layoff. They now send your starter box in the form of mini-snack packs. I didn't know this until I accidentally opened a new account...err...something like that. It was weird. But this month I am receiving full packs (5 count) of some awesome new snacks and selecting a 'pantry' of most desired items that can hopefully rise up in the queue and find their way into my mailbox.

The price is still friendly. They've added some additional snacks as I mentioned. There are also options to increase your subscription count monthly and of course pre-pay and get a few dollars knocked off the ticket. The referral prizes are still phenomenal.

Some of the new snacks: Jalapeno white cheddar popcorn, sour cream & onion almonds, sweet & salty nut medley, and pistachio power clusters. One of my tried and true favorites was Salt & Pepper pistachios so I helped swap out and pushed this one into this months subscription box.

crispy fried tofu

Ingredients

½ cup corn starch

½ cup soy flour

buttermilk and water

vegan egg

soy flour

seasoning: garlic, pepper, salt, parsley, Italian season

1-2 cups crushed corn flakes, that you can season your corn flakes, lightly 

thawed extra firm tofu, release water, cut into fourths, then eighths, then diagonally in half

oil for frying

Preparation

Mix the first four ingredients together into a light pancake-like batter. Season as you'd like. Crush cornflakes. Season tofu and shake off excess. Dip into batter and then coat with cornflakes. Fry until golden, but do not overcook.

I have used the portions for sandwiches and to just simply dash with hot sauce and honey. It's yours to do what you wish! Enjoy!

peach cobbler

For the peaches:

5-6 cups sliced peaches (if you use canned peaches, do not make the syrup)

1/8 tsp cloves (and/or all-spice)

1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

1 cup water

1 cups sugar

*butter flavor optional

For the batter:

1 stick (1/2 cup) Land O' Lake (baking margarine)

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (or 1 1/2 cup AP flour, plus 2 1/2 tsp baking powder and 3/4 tsp salt - NOTE: this does not work as well...get some self-rising flour!)

1 1/2 cups almond milk

You can always break this recipe in half for fewer servings.

Bake @ 350 degrees F, 45 minutes to an hour.  You want the crust brown and the cake moist but not wet. 

fattoush salad

Ingredients:

whole grain pita (diced, seasoned, lightly oiled, toasted)
salad greens
red onion
tomato
cucumber
juice of 1/2 a lime
olive oil
salt, herbs, red pepper



Preparation: Toast pita. Allow to cool. To make dressing, whisk oil slowly into lime juice until it becomes viscous. Season. Dice vegetables. Mix dressing with greens and vegetables. Mix with salad. Serve chilled. Delicious!

gluten free pizza crust mix (pampered chef)

This is quite easy to make, so don't complicate things by adding or taking away. I purchased two pouches and I am so glad that I did. I love it!

I made a focaccia bread too!

I baked this in my convection oven also known as my new best buddy! I sauteed the vegetables: green peppers, onions, and mushrooms. The sauce was made from 2 T of tomato paste, water, sugar, spices, and olive oil.


You will want to pre-bake this crust even though there is an option to not do so.


I expect to use the focaccia bread for either soup or sandwiches. With the holiday fast approaching, I could even make a pulled veggie chicken barbecue sandwich! Yum!