Herbed Alfredo and Veggie Pasta

You know it's a successful night when both kids eat dinner, and the three year old thanks me two minutes into the meal! 

Of course one child is eleven months old, and will eat about anything, but I'm going to call it a win!

This was very easy and fast especially if you have the time to chop the veggies and herbs in the morning or even the night before. If so you're looking at a half hour or less. And if you are making this for nonchild humans you shouldn't have to mince everything like I did. I just find they're more likely to eat tiny veggies compared to big ones. I never lie to them about what's in the food though, I find that counterproductive for life.

So, unlike most alfredo recipes I used almond milk and vegan butter. This makes the sauce not as heavy, but still tasty!! Like real tasty!  This turned out really well, I was very pleased with it. On to the important part... Also I rarely measure so sorry.

Ingredients:

1 zucchini minced
1/2 cup of mushroom minced
1/2 cup fresh spinach minced
Fresh thyme, basil, parsley, oregano minced. Mine was about 1/4 cup altogether
1/2 cup vegan butter
1 cup almond milk
1 cup plus Parmesan
1 lemon
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
1/2 ish box of mini bowtie pasta

Method:

Saute veggies on medium low with salt and pepper until tender. About 5-7 minutes. Then add spinach and squeeze a little lemon over the spinach to get rid of any bitterness. Cook for one more minute then set aside. Also, heat the butter and milk in a small saucepan while boiling water for pasta as well.

Make pasta as directed. Once butter is melted add about 3/4 cup of cheese and then add juice from half the lemon and a dash of garlic powder. Stir and add salt pepper and more cheese to taste. Sauce is ready once cheese is melted and everything is all mixed together.  Drain pasta. Pour sauce over veggies and the amount of pasta you want back into a pot all together.  I like to squeeze extra lemon once I plate it and extra cheese of course. Eat it!

                                               

                              Lotto Herbs                   =                    Tasty Goodness

Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

No seriously, these are the best cookies I've ever made or eaten! Well those are my thoughts as of this minute. My three year old and I started singing about chocolate after we ate one.  So insanely good, and simple!! I do make a healthy chocolate chip cookie, these are not those. These are naughty, but oh so worth it from time to time.

It's freezing outside, school is canceled and my phone is broken. So, I made cookies! But when they turned out amazing, and I couldn't take pictures ( due to broken phone) I felt sad. Luckily I made it work enough with the tabby. (tablet not cat)

Just make these, eat them,freeze them so u don't eat them all. Then share them, oh and you can thank me when you're done!

Ingredients:
2cups all purpose
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cracked pink salt
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbl vanilla
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup almond milk (start w/1/4 cup, if dough is crumbly at the end add more)
1 cup mixed vegan chocolate chips, white choc chips, butterscotch chips (or your preference)

Preheat 350 

Bake 7-10 8 was perfect for mine, then let them set for 10 minutes if you can

Method:

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl except sugar and set aside.  Whip sugar to get it fluffly, then slowly add sugar and mix until fluffly.  Add milk and vanilla, mix.  It won't be very fluffy anymore , but that's fine.  Add to dry ingredients.  Mix with spatula until a nice dough forms. Spoon tablespoon amount onto parchment lined cookie sheet! Bake, eat!

           

                                    She's happy about it

Quick Side: Garlicky Spinach and Pea Mash

I threw this together real quick and turned out good and was husband approved!

This basically happened due to needed something else for dinner and frantically rummaging through ingredients and sometimes that can go quite wrong, but this time it was great!






Ingredients:

1/2 cup frozen spinach
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 or less water
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
2 tbl vegan butter
2 tbl olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Start by putting the sunflower seeds in a bowl and cover with salted warm water and set aside.
Thaw and drain the spinach and then place it along with peas and water into a sauce pan.  Cover and steam on medium high heat.  This only takes about three minutes or so, once the water is boiling, you don't want to over cook them.  Drain the excess water when they are done.  Then, drain you seeds and add them to food processor and give them a grind.  Scrape down the sides with a spatula and proceed by adding the rest of the ingredients and process.  It will be thick and textury.  If you soak the sunflower seeds longer it will be a smoother consistency.  I really liked it the way it was, and it was so fast!