Wanting to savor a taste of the South while still eating clean? Follow this simple recipe! 

Happy July Friends! I hope you all enjoyed the last recipe I shared for a light and summery chickpea salad!

Has your summer been full of delicious fresh summer fruits and veggies? Have you been going out to any local farms and picking your own with your little ones? I just love picking fresh fruits and veggies together as a family!  Have you been trying out any new fun and delicious recipes?

Now I know some people still might think Clean Eating is just a "fad." But news flash everyone! Eating clean and eating to make you feel good has always been around. But for those of you cooking for friends and family members who still aren't believers in this approach to cooking your meals,  there is always a fun and yummy way to compromise.

The South is notorious for fried, buttery, and fatty foods. Not necessarily the healthiest cuisine! But what if you could change up some of those favorite southern classics towards clean eating? Let's start with a simple staple - Okra! Follow this beautifully simple and clean recipe to make the perfect roasted okra to pair with any summer meal!

Now, this takes about twenty minutes to make from prep from being to being on the table, and serves two!  So if you want to make more - just multiply the measurements by the number of people you are cooking for!

What you will need is:

• 1 pound trimmed okra.
• 2 Teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
• A nice healthy pinch of Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• A sprinkle of curry powder (goes a long way!)

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 450
• After you've cleaned and trimmed your okra put it in a large mixing bowl
• Pour the olive oil, the pinch of salt, pepper, and your sprinkle of curry powder on top of the okra
• Toss the okra until all the ingredients are evenly spread
• Spread out the okra on a lined baking sheet (make sure they aren't touching) and roast for 15 minutes
• Let cool - and enjoy!

I can't wait for you to try this simple side dish!! Please test it out and let me know what you pair it with - I can't wait to see what you come up with!!

Y'all!! This is the SO good! You don't miss the noodles at ALL! You can make ricotta with macadamia nuts or FIRM tofu. We opted for the tofu but I posted both options below! Remember, if you prefer a more "cheesy" lasagna, be generous with the nutritional yeast! 

Vegan Ricotta:
3 cups raw macadamia nuts, or 1 16-ounce extra FIRM tofu, drained and pressed dry for 10 minutes
3-4 tablespoons (depending on your preference) nutritional yeast
1/2 cup fresh basil finely chopped (we used 2 tablespoons dried basil)
2 tsp dried oregano
1 lemon, juiced (2 tablespoons)
1 tsp sea salt and pinch of pepper
optional: 1 tablespoon olive oil for flavor rich
1/2 cup water if used macadamia nuts (or a lot less if you used tofu. I added 3 tablespoons water because we used the tofu)
1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

The Rest:
1 28-ounce jar of favorite marinara sauce (I like the trader joes brand)
3-4 zucchini squash, thinly sliced 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Add macadamia nuts to food processor or blender. Mix to combine, creating a fine meal.
3. Add remaining ingredients: nutritional yeast, basil, oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, water, and parmesan cheese. We used tofu instead of macadamia nuts. You  are looking for a well-pureed mixture/paste.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, more nutritional yeast for cheesiness, or lemon for brightness.
5. Pour about 1 cup marinara sauce into a 9x13 inch baking dish and line with thinly sliced zucchini.
6. Scoop small spoonfuls amounts of ricotta mixture over the zucchini and gently spread into a thin layer. Spread on a layer of marinara sauce and then top with more zucchini slices. Continue until all filling and zucchini are used up. The top two layers should be zucchini then sauce. Sprinkle on vegan parmesan cheese and then cover with foil.
7. Bake covered for 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 15 minutes more. The zucchini should be very easily pierced when cut with a knife. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. 
8. Serve immediately with additional parma cheese if desired. Leftovers (if there are any:) keep 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
​
Recipe cred Minimalist Baker! She is seriously one of my faves! 

Serves 2 as main dish, 4 as a side
2 heads of romaine lettuce 
coconut oil, for rubbing
sea salt
tahini caesar dressing (see below)
chickpea croutons and Gluten free croutons (see below)

1. Remove outer loose leaves from Romaine heads so all that remains are the tighter, inner leaves. Cut off the top quarter of each head. Slice the head in half lengthwise. Rub both the outsides and cut sides with a little coconut oil and sprinkle with a couple pinches of sea salt. If you are lazy, you can buy already cut and prepared romaine lettuce leaves.
2. Preheat grill (or grill pan) on high. When it is very hot, place the lettuce halves on the grill, cut-sides down, and cook until charred and grill marks (approx 3-4 minutes). Flip and cook for 3 more minutes.
3. To serve, place lettuce half on plate and top with dressing, chickpea croutons, and caesar dressing.

Tahini Caesar Dressing:
1/2 cup tahini
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons gluten-free tamarin
1/2 cup water
sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Add more water if necessary. Season with salt. Store leftover dressing in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Chichpea croutons:
1 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rub chickpeas to get off loose skins. Pour the chickpeas into a medium bowl and toss with the coconut oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Transfer the chickpeas to baking sheet, and roast, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy, 25-35 minutes.
4. Remove the baking sheet from oven. Let the chickpeas cool. They will crisp up quite a bit once they've cooled, so don't worry if they are still a little soft when you take them out of the oven.

Gluten Free Croutons:
2 cups of gluten free bread, cubed 
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil (or butter of choice)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried herbs

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Toss in a small bowl the melted ghee/coconut oil with garlic powder and dried herbs, making sure each bread cube is coated lightly.
3. Spread bread cubes on baking sheet, making sure you only have 1 layer.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Toss cubes and return to the oven. Bake until croutons are crispy and golden brown, about five minutes. Remove croutons from oven and allow to cool.

Recipe cred Naturally Nourished cookbook

2/3 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 spring onion sliced
juice of 1/2 lime
onion (optional) sautéed to add flavor
leaves- approx. 6 large lettuce leaves 

1. Add the walnuts to the food processor along with olive oil and spices. Blitz until the nuts form a coarse crumb.
2. Sautéed onion and add black beans to onion for the last two minutes to heat up. 
3. Right before serving, fold in walnut mixture, lime juice and spring onions in pan. 
4. Serve immediately. Serve with the walnut and black bean taco meat in the lettuce leaves, with your choice of toppings (salsa, guac, tomatoes, olives). 

1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 large tomato, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 avocado
1 lime, juiced
sea salt

Mix together corn, black beans, tomato, onion and avocado in bowl. Squeeze juice from lime and sea salt for taste. This yummy EASY salad can be eaten with chips, in a wrap, as a salad, or on tacos! Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey
Pinch of sea salt

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well-mixed.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium-low heat and add some coconut oil to the pan.
3. Using a measuring cup, scoop the batter into 4 pancakes.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side, until set and golden, before flipping to cook 1-2 minutes on the other side.
5. Serve with berries, syrup for breakfast, or top with sliced tomato, avocado, and sprouts for a delicious snack or lunch. 

Recipe cred Fitnessista.com

Serves 4-6​
2 tsp oil or ghee
1 small yellow onion
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp grated ginger, from 3 inch piece
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tbsp juiced)
Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 pound baby spinach
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
Whole roasted sweet potatoes
Cilantro leaves to garnish
Toasted unsweetened coconut to garnish

1. Heat the oil in large, deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onion is beginning to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest, and red peppers, if using. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes, or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion and garlic mixture.
3. Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. This will take about 5 minutes; stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next handful. When all the spinach has been added, pour in the coconut milk, salt, ground ginger, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes, or until the chickpeas are warmed through. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice, if necessary.
4. Serve hot over roasted sweet potatoes, with cilantro leaves and toasted unsweetened coconut to garnish.
5. You can also serve this over pasta, rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice!

Makes 4 servings​
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato halves (not packed in oil)
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 -15oz cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can artichoke hearts in brine, quartered
1 medium red onion, diced
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional)
sea salt and black pepper to taste
4 cups arugula or other greens

1. Add the sun-dried tomato halves to a small saucepan and add water to cover.
2. Bring the pan to a simmer and cook the sun-dried tomatoes until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes to a blender with 1/2 cup of the cooking water and process until smooth. Add more water if necessary to get a creamy texture. Discard any unused water.
4. Add the mixture to a bowl and add the red wine vinegar, garbanzo beans, and artichoke hearts, red onion, basil, and pine nuts.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Divide the arugula among four plates and spoon the chickpea salad evenly over the greens. Enjoy!