savory grits with bbq tempeh and collard greens

Serve up a warm bowl of Savory Grits with BBQ Tempeh and Collard Greens for a hearty meat-free meal!

Savory Grits with BBQ Tempeh and Collard Greens ~vegan, gluten free~

Born and raised in the North East I never heard of grits until I did a quick stint of schooling down in Virginia my freshman year of college.  I was instantly hooked on this standard southern soul food!  Traditionally, grits are prepared with butter and often times they are served with cheese and sausage or bacon.  Grits are made from ground corn and are also referred to as hominy.  They are gluten-free and contain vitamins and minerals including B vitamins, iron and selenium.  You can also eat them for breakfast swirled with maple syrup, walnuts and sliced bananas!

(Note: Not all brands of grits are gluten free due to cross-contamination.  However, Bob’s Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills are labeled gluten free.)

Savory Grits with BBQ Tempeh and Collard Greens ~vegan, gluten free~

savory grits with bbq tempeh and collard greens
 
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Serve up a warm bowl of Savory Grits with BBQ Tempeh and Collard Greens for a hearty meat free meal!
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For Tempeh:
  • 8 oz. tempeh, cubed
  • ¾ cup BBQ sauce
For Collard Greens:
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 bunch collard greens, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • pinch sea salt
  • splash balsamic vinegar
For Grits:
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup onion, chopped
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup grits
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
For Tempeh
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. In a shallow baking dish mix tempeh and bbq sauce. Marinate for 30-45 minutes. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
For Collard Greens:
  1. In a large skillet over medium-low heat add olive oil and garlic. Sauté until fragrant. Add collard greens and sauté until wilted. Add sea salt and splash of balsamic vinegar.
For Grits:
  1. In a medium sauce pan heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Sauté onion until golden. Add broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and slowly whisk in grits to prevent clumping. Add sea salt. Cover and cook until grits are soft and fluffy, around 10 minutes.
Serve BBQ tempeh and collard greens on top of grits, enjoy!

     Savory Grits with BBQ Tempeh and Collard Greens ~vegan, gluten free~

    butternut squash pasta with candied walnuts

    Cooler temperatures and rainy days call for this warming bowl of Butternut Squash Pasta with Candied Walnuts.

    Cooler temperatures and rainy days call for this warming bowl of Butternut Squash Pasta with Thyme and Candied Walnuts

     This sauce is so buttery good, I caught myself eating it straight off the spoon!  Roasted butternut squash seasoned with nutmeg, thyme and crushed red pepper flakes that add a little heat!  Candied walnuts are added for crunch, protein and omega 3’s!

    Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall foods.  The bright orange vegetable is a great source of beta carotene providing anti-cancer properties.  It is high in fiber, vitamin C, magnesium and contains more potassium than a banana!  Similar to pumpkin, butternut squashed can be added to bread, brownie or cookie recipes for healthier baked goods.

    butternut squash pasta
     
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    Makes 6 servings Cooler temperatures and rainy days call for this warming bowl of Butternut Squash Pasta with Nutmeg, Thyme and Candied Walnuts.
    Author:
    Recipe type: Main
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Serves: 6
    Ingredients
    • 1 butternut squash, halved and cleaned
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for roasting butternut squash)
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • ¼ teaspoons dried thyme
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1.5 cups vegetable broth
    • sea salt and pepper to taste
    • ⅛-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1 pound pasta of choice, cooked according to package
    For candied walnuts:
    • 1 tablespoon butter (I used earths balance)
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 1 cup walnuts
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut butternut squash in half lengthways and clean out seeds. Drizzle flesh with olive oil and place face down on parchment paper. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh and set aside.
    2. Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, thyme and nutmeg and sauté until fragrant. Remove from heat.
    3. Add cooked butternut squash, sautéed garlic and spices and 1 cup of vegetable broth to a high speed blender or food processor and puree until creamy. Once blended, transfer back to skillet, stir in remaining broth and simmer on low heat until warmed. Add sea salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
    4. Toss cooked pasta with butternut squash sauce. Top with candied walnuts and enjoy!
    To make candied walnuts:
    1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
    2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat melt butter and add brown sugar stirring until dissolved. Add walnuts and toss to coat. Transfer to parchment paper and let cool.

    Cooler temperatures and rainy days call for this warming bowl of Butternut Squash Pasta with Nutmeg, Thyme and Candied Walnuts.

     Use your favorite pasta for this recipe, include gluten-free options such as brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta.  You can even lessen the amount of broth used to make a whipped butternut squash side dish this Thanksgiving!

    crockpot spiced lentils ~freezer meal~

    Crockpot Spiced Lentils, cooked and frozen for later!

    Crockpot Spiced Lentils ~vegan, gluten free~ All I A freezer meal that you can thaw and serve with rice, potatoes or naan bread for a complete meal with plenty of protein!

    This month’s Recipe Redux asked us to share our favorite freezer meal.  Since I’m the only one in the family that doesn’t eat meat, I am often left without a protein source at dinner.  That’s where these little freezer packs of cooked spiced lentils comes into play!  All I have to do is thaw them out and serve with rice, potatoes or naan bread for a complete meal with plenty of protein!

    Crockpot Spiced Lentils ~vegan, gluten free~ All I A freezer meal that you can thaw and serve with rice, potatoes or naan bread for a complete meal with plenty of protein!

    I use my handy dandy crockpot for this recipe, making it super simple!  Once cooked and cooled, portion lentils into appropriate serving size (~3/4 cup) and freeze!  The cinnamon and raisins give these lentils a sweet flavor that pairs nicely with cooked coconut brown basmati rice (just add coconut oil to rice when cooking!).  I don’t want to call this recipe “dal” because I’m not culinary creative enough to use true Indian spices and seeds, but it tastes similar!

    spiced lentils ~freezer meal~
     
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    Makes 6 servings
    Author:
    Recipe type: Main
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Serves: 6
    Ingredients
    • 2 cups red lentils, rinsed
    • 4½ cups water
    • 1 cup organic canned diced tomatoes
    • ¼ cup raisins
    • 3 tablespoons onion, minced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1½ teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
    • 1 teaspoon coriander
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 bay leaf
    Instructions
    1. Place all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
    2. Let cool and scoop individual portions into ziplock bags. Place in the freezer and thaw as needed.
    3. Top with fresh cilantro, roasted pumpkin seeds and serve with brown basmati rice, quinoa or naan, enjoy!

    Crockpot Spiced Lentils ~vegan, gluten free~ All I A freezer meal that you can thaw and serve with rice, potatoes or naan bread for a complete meal with plenty of protein!

     Similar to beans, lentils provide fiber, folic acid and are a meat-free source of protein.  Their high fiber content helps control blood glucose levels as well as naturally lower cholesterol.  The Nurses’ Health Study II also shows that increased consumption of beans and lentils reduces the risk of breast cancer.  Researchers found “that women who ate beans or lentils at least twice a week were 24% less likely to develop breast cancer than women who ate those foods less than once a month.”

    Fun Fact:  Did you know lentils were one of the first cultivated foods?  Archeologists unearthed lentil seeds in villages of the Middle East that date back 6000 B.C.E.!  These little lentils have come a long way!

    Check out the other Recipe Redux freezer meals!

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