Roasted Pumpkin "Mac and Cheese"

Today's recipe was inspired by my desire to experiment in the kitchen and to not be wasteful of a mini pumpkin sitting in my fridge. This past Sunday my husband and I bought two small pumpkins at a farmers market with the intention of carving them out to use as chili soup bowls. We soon realized the chili would probably taste like pumpkin and we opted for regular bowls. 

To be honest I started this culinary experiment with the idea that I would make pumpkin soup and then changed my mind half way through. 

If you want to try this recipe yourself here is what you will need:

~1 small fresh pumpkin.

~Olive oil

~Water

~Blender

~1 bag of brown rice pasta

~ 1/4 cup of Raw cashews

~Mustard powder

~Chili powder

~Nutritional yeast

~Salt to taste

~Black pepper to taste

~Raw shelled pumpkin seeds to garnish.

**This dish is vegan and gluten free.

*If you have a nut allergy you can simply leave out the cashews and replace it with a little milk.

Steps for preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. 

2. Hollow out your pumpkin, washing the surface very thoroughly. Remove all seeds from the inside of your pumpkin. 

3.Cut your pumpkin into chunks and place them in an oven-safe dish. NOTE: You do not have to remove the skin from your pumpkin.

4. Pour about 1/4 cup of water over the pumpkin and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. 

5. Roast the pumpkin for 25-30 minutes. You will know the pumpkin in properly roasted when the chunks are soft and tender.  

This is what your pumpkin looks like after it has been roasted. 

6. Put still warm pumpkin into your blender.  

7.Also add about 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of raw cashews into the blender. 

 8.Blend until smooth. If you need, add more water so everything gets blended well.

 9. Add blended mixture to a sauce pan with the stove temperature set on low to medium-low.
10. Add in 1/4-1/2 cup of nutritional yeast. (depending on your preference)
11. Add in 1 tsp of ground mustard powder.
12. Add in 2-3 tsp of chili powder.
13. Taste the mixture in between adding each of the spices. Add salt and pepper to your desired taste.
14. Cook and drain the brown rice pasta. Add the sauce on top of your pasta and place it in your oven (still set on 350) for 5 minutes. Add shredded cheese on top if you like before putting it in the oven.

 Viola! This is what it will look like. 

15.Sprinkle some raw pumpkin seeds over the top as a garnish. I thought of that after I took this photo. Opps!

You can leave it vegan like this or add shredded cheese on top. You could also add shredded almond cheese on top to still keep it vegan.

I thought it was really tasty so I gave a little sample to my co-worker so she can give me some constructive feedback since this was totally experimental. Let me know if you have ever tried something like this!

Thanks for stopping by!

Other places to find me:

Instagram: courtney.val

Twitter: @courtneywval

YouTube: Courtney Val or www.youtube.com\TheImperfectpearl

One Minute Smoothie: Healthy Hair and Skin

Hola!

This morning I made a delicious smoothie so I thought I would share the recipe with you. I also filmed it and posted the video on my YouTube channel. You can watch the video here:

Recipe:
2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp of coconut oil
2 Tsp of hemp seeds
3-4 Frozen mango chunks or slices
A handful of frozen or fresh spinach
10 oz of  coconut water (you could use almond milk, coconut milk, or regular milk if you like)

Blend it up and enjoy!

Health Benefits Breakdown:

Apple Cider Vinegar: It helps balance your body's pH levels, promotes a healthy metabolism, and stabilizes blood sugar.

Coconut Oil: It produces lauric acid which can kill bacteria (Acne!) and fight off viruses. It promotes shiny and strong hair. It can even reduce or prevent hair loss.

Coconut Water: This juice is naturally very hydrating and being properly hydrated keeps your hair shiny and skin plump. Staying hydrated is also the number 1 way to prevent premature aging.

Mango: Eating mango can actually unclog your pores and clear up pimples.

Spinach: Greens=glow. It's that simple. The more greens you eat the more your hair will grow and your skin will glow.

Hemp Hearts: These seeds are high in Omega 3's and Vitamin E which treat hair and skin conditions.


Thanks for joining me and leave any comments or questions down below.

Also feel free to follow me here:
Instagram: courtney.val
Twitter: @courtneywval

St. Patrick's Green Piña Colada Smoothie (No Alcohol)

Happy (almost) St. Patrick's Day!

I'm not really into corned beef and cabbage so I'll be mixing up a different St. Patty's treat. The weather has been so nice I thought I would put a summer spin on my smoothie and make it a piña colada minus the rum. 

Recipe:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (as always you could use any kind of milk you like)
• 3/4 cup of water
• 2-4 handfuls of spinach. Spinach blends down very easily so you really can add as much as you want. 
• 4 pineapple slices
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 tbsp of chia seeds
• About 1/4 cup of coconut flakes
• 1 packet of stevia
• A few drops of green food coloring for extra green color

Blend it all together and enjoy!

Are you making any other treats for St. Patrick's Day? Let me know in the comments!

Have a great day!

Courtney

Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes" Recipe

Good Evening! Or Morning, or afternoon....depending on where you live. 

I just got done eating dinner and taste testing a new recipe I tried out today. Like always I cant't just keep these things to my self. Oh no. They must be shared! :)

This is a recipe where you take a head of cauliflower and make a substitute for mashed potatoes. This recipe is 100% gluten-free, vegan, and delicious. 

 It still has the same texture as mashed potatoes and basically the same taste but with more nutritional value. Cauliflower is a great source of protein, potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, K, and B6.   

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1 1/2 tsp of nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp garlic salt or just plain salt depending on what you prefer

A pinch of black pepper

2 Tbsp of unsweetened almond milk. You could also use unsweetened soy milk. 

Directions:

1. Chop up your head of cauliflower and add all pieces to a large pot of slow boiling water. You can use every bit of the cauliflower except for the leaves so don't be afraid to add both the florets and stems. 

2. Once your cauliflower bits are tender drain the water and add the cauliflower to your blender along with the almond milk. 

3. Blend on lowest setting until the mixture is well blended but a few lumps remain. If your blender has a pulse setting, use that. 

4. Pour the mixture back into the pot and place it on low heat. 

5. Slowly mix in the salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast one at a time. 

6. Remove the pot from the stove and serve!

While the recipe itself is vegan I sprinkled a little cheddar cheese on top and it was quite tasty. ;)

This was my first time making this recipe and I was pleasantly surprised. It really does taste just like mashed potatoes! 

I hope you enjoy this dish and have a great day!

Courtney