My Favorite Recipes

As I’ve been changing our diet to help my autistic son, I have tried dozens and dozens of new recipes. It is exhausting. I would like to share which ones are my favorites. I am by no means a skilled cook. So these recipes are all fairly easy and simple. We were trying to do a whole food plant based diet for while. But the main emphasis is on “try”. I still love diary. I love cheese and butter specifically. I like meat – and we still eat meat, just not as much as before.

I’m a relationship blogger – not a food blogger. But food can affect our relationships. When I eat well, I am happier and have more energy. And when I am happier and have more energy, I am naturally nicer to my husband and kids.

Also, I usually double all of these recipes so that I don’t have to cook as often.

I will be adding to this post periodically as I find new favorites.

Red Lentil Curry

This is a fabulous recipe if you like curries. I like to serve this with rice and some sides of vegetables – broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, bamboo, anything!

https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-red-lentil-curry/

Or here is another lentil curry that uses green lentils.

Lentil Curry

Kale and Wild Rice Bowl

This recipe is from my friend Heather Ray, a dietician. This salad is delicious! We usually replace the chicken with avocado. And I don’t use vegetable broth to cook the wild rice – just water.

Thai Quinoa Salad

This one is good, but not super filling. I might have to add some more quinoa or rice.

Thai Quinoa Salad

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

I like to add cabbage to this recipe and only use 1/2 of the sausage required.

Curried Chickpeas and Spinach

This is originally a recipe from emeals.com but I have changed it a little bit. Here is link to the original:

https://emeals.com/recipes/recipe-46475-297940-Curried-Chickpeas-and-Spinach

• 2 onions, chopped
• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp minced fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup curry powder (I use the “Simply Organic” curry powder from Natural Grocers).
• 2 (14.5-oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 (13.5-oz) cans coconut milk
• 2 (15.5-oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, cubed
• 2 (5-oz) pkg baby kale, cut into small pieces

Saute the onions and garlic in the oil. Add the spices and cook for a minute. Then add the tomatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are done. Then add the kale and cook for 2 more minutes until the kale is wilted.

This recipe can be frozen.

Chickpea Noodle Soup

This soup is wonderful if you are sick and craving chicken noodle soup! It actually tastes like it has chicken in it, but it doesn’t.

https://cookieandkate.com/chickpea-noodle-soup-recipe/

White Bean Potato Soup with Broccoli

White Bean Potato Soup w/ Broccoli

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 small Yukon gold potatoes, cut in 1/4″ cubes

2 stalks celery

3 medium carrots, chopped

3 cups chopped broccoli

1 t each: thyme, rosemary, oregano

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

3 cups cooked white beans (navy or great northern)

1/2 cup raw cashews

Juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste

2 t salt or to taste

Saute’ chopped onion in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until it starts to brown. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.  Add 3 cups water, potato, carrots, celery, broccoli and herbs cook until vegetables are tender.  Add beans. Add cashews and 2-3 cups of soup to blender jar. Blend until smooth. Add cream to soup pot. Stir in lemon juice and serve.

Minestrone

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13187/minestrone-soup-i/

Costa Rican Black Beans

Costa Rican Style Slow Cooker Black Beans Recipe

We eat this with rice, tortillas, avocado, plantains, cucumbers, tomatoes and/or corn.

My husband also likes to make Gallo Pinto with the beans – which is rice and beans and onion and red pepper and cilantro with Salsa Lisano sauce.

Pinto Beans

• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cans pinto beans (15 oz.)
• 1 can green chiles (4 oz.)
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp chicken bouillion
• 1/2 cup salsa verde
• 2 tsp cumin

Korean Rice Bowl

Lentil Veggie Pasta Sauce

https://analisashealthyhabits.wordpress.com/2020/03/21/lentil-veggie-pasta-sauce/

When I don’t add meat to this sauce, I add some steak seasoning to give it a little more flavor. Lately this recipe has been too watery – so I need to add more tomato paste I think and less water. It’s honestly not my husband’s favorite but I love how it has tons of veggies!

Zucchini Black Bean Chili

Zucchini Black Bean Chili

Butternut Squash Chili

Butternut Squash Chili

Butternut Squash Couscous Bowls

Roasted Butternut Squash Couscous Bowls

Pupusas and Curtido

https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/pupusas/

https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/curtido/

Superhero muffins

https://cookieandkate.com/apple-carrot-muffins-recipe/

These are amazing! I like to double this recipe too.

Hummus Avocado Sandwiches

Toast your bread. Spread hummus on one side, avocado on the other. Then add tomatoes and salt. Delicious and easy!

Breakfast Ideas

Here is what we usually have for breakfast.

1. Oatmeal with soy milk
2. Toast and fruit
3. Muffins
4. Smoothies

Lunch Ideas

1. Leftovers
2. Peanut Butter sandwiches and raw vegetables
3. Homemade French Fries

Snacks

1. Homemade popcorn
2. Larabars
3. Raw Vegetables
4. Dried fruit
5. Smoothies
6. Nuts
7. Roasted Chickpeas
8. Refried beans and chips/salsa and chips

And honestly I do buy processed food for me and the kids because it is so easy and tastes so good. I think it is a balance between eating healthy and enjoying your food. Good luck trying to find that balance for you.