Stuffed Acorn Squash

Stuffed Acorn Squash (Picture and Recipe by: Callen Rhoads)

For this recipe I used the remainder of the rice from last nights simple veggies and wild rice recipe. I however, will give you the measurements so that you can make this recipe from scratch..in case you didn't make the simple veggies and rice from the night before!

This recipe is one that Jake and I both absolutely love. This is a hearty meal that can be used as a main dish or side. It is very filling, very scrumptious,  but again v e r y healthy!

This recipe feeds 4. One half a squash is for each person. If you are a bigger eater, you may want to get one squash for each person. Myself and Jake only ate half a squash each, but now we have left overs for tomorrow night! Yay!

Ingredients

(For squash)

2 acorn squash

2 tbs of vegan margarine

salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder to sprinkle on top

(For Rice)

vegetable broth

(amount varies according to directions on rice packaging)

1 cup of wild rice

1/2 package of shitake mushrooms, diced

1 tbs finely diced garlic

(For Vegetable Mixture)

2 tbs of olive oil

1 stalk of broccoli (finely chopped)  or 1 cup chopped

1 small carrot finely chopped

1/2 cup onion finely diced

1 cup of fresh chopped parsley

1/2 cup finely diced zuchini

1/8 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbs finely diced garlic

*diced tomato and parsley for garnish (optional)

For the Squash

To start, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Cut each Acorn Squash in half with a sharp knife. Be careful not to cut yourself and remember to use a cutting board.

I use a muffin tin instead of a cookie sheet to cook my squash. This way it is not rolling around and it cooks even.

Put 1/2 a Tbs of vegan margarine in the center of each squash half. I then sprinkled garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper on top.

Cook the squash for 30-40 minutes, or until tender with a fork.
Take the squash out of the oven, set aside, and let cool to the touch.


Put your squash in a muffin tin so it cooks evenly and doesn't roll around!
(Picture and idea by Callen Rhoads)

For the Rice:

1 cup of Lundberg's (or your favorite) wild rice. Cook the rice according to the package dircections. I put some diced up onion, garlic, and diced shitake mushroom in my rice for extra flavor. I also always use vegetable broth instead of water. To me, it tastes better. :)

For the Vegetable Mixture:

When the squash is done and cooling, heat a saute pan on medium high heat.

Add the olive oil and saute all the veggies (and garlic) at once until tender. Add the turmeric and pepper flakes while cooking.

Once the Rice is cooked add it to the vegetable mixture.

Once the squash is cool, scoop out all the squash, but be careful not to ruin the outer lining of the squash. The squash's shell will become a bowl to put the veggie/rice/squash mixture in.

Add the scooped out squash to the pan with the veggies and rice.  Mix together.

Fill each squash shell with the mixture.

You can garnish with parsley and tomato if you wish.

Enjoy!

All the Veggies in my recipes are from Rhoads Produce in Englewood, FL!

Make sure to visit our website and remember to like us on facebook!

Website: www.rhoadsproduceandchainsawart.com/

Facebook: Rhoads Produce

Simple Veggies and Wild Rice

Simple Veggies and Rice (Recipe and Photo by: Callen Rhoads)


This is a recipe that Jake asks for at least once a week. It's simple, easy, delicious, and healthy!

You can use whatever veggies you want to stir fry. I used whatever I had left over in the fridge. I made extra rice because I'm using half of it for the stuffed squash that I'm making tonight.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
2 TBS of Olive Oil
1 medium sweet onion ( half diced, half cut into thin slices)
1 red pepper
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium zuchini
1 carrot thinly sliced
4 cloves thinly diced garlic
1/2 bunch of broccoli
1 package shitake mushrooms, diced

vegetable broth (amount varies depending on how much rice you make)

salt, pepper to taste

1 cup wild rice, I use Lundberg's (picture below) 

Lundberg Wild Blend Rice (Available at most grocery stores)

For the Rice
**cook according to the package in a medium sauce pan with whatever desired amount of rice you'd like.

Half way through the cooking process, add the diced onion, mushroom, and 2 diced cloves of garlic.

For the Veggies

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat. Add the remaining veggies to the pan.  Cook until tender. Add your desired amount of salt and pepper. You can also add other herbs if desired.


Let cool, plate, and enjoy! It's that easy!

The Best Tofu Scramble...yes, TOFU!!!!

The Best Tofu Scramble with Smart "Bacon" (Picture by: Callen Rhoads)

I too used to be one of those people who would stick my nose up to tofu. In fact, until recently, I didn't know why people liked it so much.  But honestly, I think the biggest reason people think it's disgusting is because it hasn't been cooked properly or they just won't try it! All it is is ground up soy beans for heavens sake! It's not disgusting. It's healhier than the eggs or meat you normally eat...and trust me, this recipe will make you want more (tofu)!!!

This recipe WILL change your mind. It changed mine!. I can't wait for Jake to get home so he can try it as well.

Here is the recipe. Best Tofu Scramble

In the recipe it calls for "Tamari." You can use soy sauce instead. If you don't have "Nutritional  Yeast" you can omit it. If you want to know where to find nutritional yeast you can get it at most health food stores. It's in a bottle that looks like parmesean cheese. I got mine at Earth Origins in Port Charlotte (next to Office Depot). You can also use nutritional yeast in place of parmesean cheese and on your popcorn for a "cheesy" flavor.

I also made some "bacon" to go with my "eggs."

I used the brand, "Smart Bacon." You can get this at Publix or most health food stores. I've tried the tempeh "bacon" and did not like it at all. This brand is really good though!

To make your bacon taste more like bacon put a little salt and agave syrup on top of it after cooking it. It has more of a "maple" taste. Of course you could use brown sugar or real maple syrup as well.

I love my husband...and Rhoads Produce :)

Fruits and Vegetables from Rhoads Produce in Englewood, FL

This is just one of the many reasons why I love my husband and his business. This basket is FILLED with veggies and fruit!  <3

Just thought I'd share. All of this produce is from Rhoads Produce in Englewood, FL

You can visit our site here: Rhoads Produce and Chainsaw Art

Xoxo,

Callen

You can still drink coffee and drink vegan!

In case you didn't know, you can drink vegan coffee at Starbucks! Just ask for soy milk and no whip cream or drink black coffee if you're up to it. Beware of making your drink "light" though. Some of those syrups are NOT vegan. Also, I would like to add that products that say "low fat, reduced fat, etc."  are full of chemicals!!! If you're going to splurge, do it the most natural way you can!


Anyways, here is my favorite drink: A tall peppermint mocha frappacino with soy milk and no whip cream. It is pretty much amazing.

I don't get it all the time because who needs the extra calories? This drink is about 190 calories (according to Starbucks.com).

If you're wanting to make your coffee healthier at home you can add agave syrup instead of sugar and use your favorite plant based milk. My favorite milk is Silk's Vanilla Almond Milk! I use it on my cereal too! It is delicious!

Well anyways, good morning and have a great day!

Xoxo,

Callen

Welcome with Spaghetti Squash!

I'm just starting this journey on the "Rhoads" to recipe blogging! If you're new to eating vegetarian, vegan, or just want to eat healthier by incorporating more veggies into your meals this is the blog for you!

This week is my first week of officially eating vegan only. I have made many vegan meals in the past since becoming a vegetarian two years ago. I absolutely LOVE cooking and cooking healthy! Honestly, I think food tastes better when you can enjoy it and know it's healthy for you!

This week I'm making a plethora of recipes and doing my best to think ahead so I don't waste anything. I  like making things when I can prep for a recipe and use the same ingredients for upcoming recipes throughout the week! It's cheaper, easier, and nothing gets wasted! This week I made stir fry veggies and wild rice, I'm in the process of making black bean soup, loaded sweet potatoes, vegan enchiladas, and from scratch veggie burgers with homemade baked sweet potato fries.  (Salivating yet? I'll be sharing these recipes later!) Now to today's recipe!

Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Veggie Sauce

Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Veggie Sauce

(I use whatever veggies I have at the house when making this recipe. You can use all of these veggies, or use whatever you have at home! Don't be afraid to change the recipe to your liking or to what you have lying around. If you don't have spaghetti squash, you can always use whatever pasta you have at home too.)

Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 zuchini, cut into small pieces.
1 yellow squash, cut into small pieces.
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces.
1/2 head of broccoli, cut into small pieces.
1 medium tomato, diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 red onion, diced (sweet or yellow onion is fine too)
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use Bertolli's olive oil and garlic)
1/2 teaspoon of basil
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1 Tbs of olive oil or coconut oil (I use coconut oil.)
1 Tbs spoon of vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)
salt and pepper to taste


For the Spaghetti Squash:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half and use a spoon to remove all the seeds.
Place the spaghetti squash cut side up on a baking sheet.
Put 1/2 Tbs of the margarine onto the middle of each spaghetti squash.
Put salt and pepper onto each spaghetti squash
Bake the spaghetti squash for about 45 min. to an hour or until the squash is tender with a fork.

(Check the squash frequently so it doesn't get burnt on top.
Some people put tin foil on top to prevent burning, but I don't like to do that because I feel that the squash gets too moist and isn't as "noodle" like. If you see that the squash is getting burnt you can always put tinfoil on it at that point.)

Let the squash cool until you are able to touch it.
Use a fork and move it back and forth inside the squash. This will make the "noodles."


For the Marinara Sauce:
Use a large non stick pan and put your oil of choice in the pan on medium high heat.
Once the pan is hot, add your onion, garlic, pepper, broccoli, and cauliflower. Cook for about 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, add the zuchini and yellow squash. Cook for about 7-10 minutes or until tender. (Try not to overcook your veggies. You don't want them too soft!)

After your veggies are cooked add the tomato and jar of spaghetti sauce. Add the basil, oregano, and salt and pepper.  Cook the sauce all the way through.

Put a desired amount of spaghetti squash "noodles"  on your plate and top with veggie marinara sauce. Enjoy!

Please let me know if you try this recipe, and what you think of it!

(My husband suggested making garlic bread for this as well, so if you feel you need a "bread" to go with this, feel free to add it to your dinner!)

Sincerely,

Callen Rhoads

(All the veggies in the recipes posted are from my husband's business, "Rhoads Produce", in Englewood, FL!)