Monday, June 2, 2014

Vegan Smokey BBQ Soul Bowl (GF, Vegan, Soy free, Nut free)

I posted this recipe over on the other blog that I have going on LimitlessLifeGirls but thought that I would share it on here too. "I'll Take Some of That" could use some love. ENJOY!!

This has a few different components to the meal. None of them are real complicated, and really none of them are a MUST for the meal. Its very flexible and I've made it a bunch of times, each slightly different. But I've had requests for the recipes, so, here we go!
BBQ Pulled jackfruit! I make it into a bowl, but like i said, the different components of this can be used to make whatever you like. Sandwich, taco, burrito, bowl, salad...
I am posting pictures from a few different times that I've made it, each different. I keep consistent on the jackfruit, butternut squash, coconut bacon & kale, but that's about it. Sometimes I have a dressing on it, sometimes not. (See below pics)
Little FYI on the jackfruit, you can find it at Asian markets/grocery stores in the canned fruit section. Get the kind IN WATER, not in syrup. It doesn't have much of a flavor, so it lends itself to being marinated very easily!
This is the pre-marinade. You can see the hard parts of the jackfruit in the upper right.
This is the pre-marinade. You can see the hard parts of the jackfruit in the upper right.
butternut squash
butternut squash mid way though
BBQ Jackfruit
DSCN0575
individual parts of the meal
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2014-01-09 20.43.40
One way I've had it, more a salad type and drizzle a lemon tahini dressing over the top with pickled onions & avocado.
Little fyi on the jackfruit, you can find it at asian markets/grocery stores in the canned fruit section. Get the kind IN WATER, not in syrup. It doesn't have much of a flavor, so it lends itself to being marinated very easily!

▶▶BBQ Jackfruit
2 cans jackfruit in water
1/2 bottle of favorite vegan BBQ sauce. (I used Annie's)
Open the cans, drain & rinse the jackfruit. Pull the jackfruit apart and put into a medium discarding hard end pieces. Then pour in 1/2 the bottle of BBQ sauce and mix. I suggest letting it sit for at least an hour to marinate. However you can do it all crockpot style & just dump it in & leave it to slow cook for a while.
After marinating, put in pot & cook, covered, on medium stirring every few minutes. Cook for 20 minutes.

▶▶Roasted Butternut Squash
1 medium-large butternut squash, peeled then cubed.
3 TBS nutritional yeast
1 TBS coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice, I like coconut sugar for this because I don't like the extra liquid from liquid sweeteners)
1 TBS oil (i use coconut or grapeseed generally)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 onion chopped
Black pepper to taste
Few shakes of dried oregano
Few shakes of dried rosemary
Heat oven to 375° F. I peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, like peeling a potato. You have to make several passes on one section, its peel is thicker & harder than a potato's skin is.  Cube the squash into 1 inch cubes, or smaller & put in an ungreased casserole dish (i line mine with foil) with garlic & onions, then sprinkle ingredients over the squash as evenly as you can, no need to be perfect. Drizzle oil over squash and cover with foil.
Bake for 15 min, pull out and mix it then put back in the oven for another 15 min uncovered.

▶▶Quinoa
Bring 2 cups water to boil and add 1 cup quinoa. Turn down heat to low & cover. Let cook covered for about 17 min, until all the liquid has been absorbed. For additional flavor, cook in vegetable broth.

▶▶Kale
I use either lacinato kale or regular curly green kale. Pull the cleaned kale from the stem and rip into medium pieces and put in a large bowl. If i am making the bowl immediately after the quinoa and vegetables are cooked, so they are really hot, i just put the kale down & the quinoa & vegetables over the top. It wilts the kale slightly making it softer, less bitter & easier to eat.

▶▶Coconut Bacon (put over the top)
If you haven't had coconut bacon, you should invest in the time to make it. So good! Recipe here

▶▶Options to have it with:
●Roasted Brussels Sprouts (i roast them with garlic & onions)
●Steamed cauliflower & broccoli
●Roasted sweet potatoes (sometimes combined with the vegetables below)
●Sauteed vegetables (I've done shallot, onion, bell peppers & zucchini w/garlic)

Orange Creme Protein Smoothie (GF, Vegan, Soy free)

This is a real simple smoothie and it doesn’t use nut milk. I’ve been reading up on the effects of carrageenan in our food. Just a quick explanation; it’s used to make creamy things hold together & not separate… dairy & nondairy alike, unfortunately. There are several almond and coconut milks that use it. If you want to read more about carrageenan here is an article on it.

<a title="Carrageenan Article" href="http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/carrageenan-natural-ingredient-you-should-ban-your-diet?">Carrageenan Article</a>

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So, l have a renewed focus on making my own nut milk (and not just being lazy). I didn’t have any made today, but happened to have some coconut water in the fridge. Coconut water is great for you, some people aren’t crazy about the taste though. Why not use it to make a nice creamy smoothie? Hydrating and gives you protein plus orange cream is a great flavor. Fabulous for a lighter breakfast or a post workout drink.

<a href="https://limitlesslifeladies.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/orange-creme.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-358" src="http://limitlesslifeladies.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/orange-creme.jpg?w=652" alt="Vegan Orange Creme Coconut Water Protein Smoothie" width="652" height="790" /></a>
<strong><em>Makes about 30 oz</em></strong>

<strong>8 oz coconut water</strong>
<strong> ½ banana</strong>
<strong> 1 orange, peeled</strong>
<strong> 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Vega’s <a title="Viva Vanilla" href="http://www.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/protein-smoothie-viva-vanilla-V12-p-vega.html">Viva Vanilla</a>, love that stuff!!)</strong>
<strong> ½ TBS Maca powder (<em>optional</em>)</strong>
<strong> 8 ice cubes</strong>

Throw it all in the blender and blend until smooth. My personal recommendation is: start with the coconut water and end with the ice cubes, it’ll make things blend better.

Much love!!