Now that it’s getting a little cooler out I am getting back into cooking and baking on a regular basis, yes we still ate over the summer 😉 but mostly just grilling.  I really do enjoy cooking just not when its 98 degrees out and have to turn on the oven!  So I decided to make up a couple batches of our staples to have for snacks and lunches for the next few days.

First on the agenda was to bake some healthy sweet treats to have for snacks or even for breakfast.  I took a few months of eating fish and dairy and haven’t been feeling that amazing and lacking energy so I am kicking off fall with motivation to get back into a vegan based diet.

These banana bites are a perfect grab and go snack that my daughter loves as well!  I have the entire recipe listed here in a previous post, the only difference is that these chocolate chips pictured below are vegan.  My daughter was such a big helper and she decided she needed a few sprinkles on her half of the muffins 🙂

• The ingredients are incredibly simple and contain no eggs or dairy and are about 40 calories per banana bite!
  Next on the list was to make a huge pot of veggie soup which is one of my favorite recipes that I came up with last fall by using farm fresh ingredients from our local farm box.  You can check out the original recipe here, but what I love the most is that you can alter the ingredients to whatever you happen to have on hand!   This version is completely vegan and is super tasty approved by the entire family including my dad!  This particular version is fully of fresh veggies and protein that will keep you feeling full and nourished at the same time.  This is perfect for lunches or can be served alongside a main dish such as grilled chicken or steak if you are meat eater.   First step is to gather up all the spices and chop your veggies so that when your pot is hot you can quickly start to add everything together without burning the onions and garlic!  Saute half a red onion in extra virgin olive oil until they become slightly translucent and then add in as much minced garlic as you like along with all of the spices (will be listed below) to release all of the flavors.  I love adding white beans into soup, not only are they delicious but they leave you feeling full and satisfied without adding any meat or pasta.  
  Along with chopping up all of your veggies you will want to thinly slice a head of collard greens and make sure to really rinse them to remove any sand or dirt that may have been left behind.
  Next into the pot go your harder veggies like butternut squash and zucchini, allow them to saute for a few minutes or until they start to get some color and soften just a little.
  Then add in a large can of diced tomatoesFollowed by 8 cups of water and veggie base, or you could use a traditional vegetable broth I would recommend a low-sodium option.
  After the liquid comes to a bubble add in all of the collard greens and let them soften until they turn a darker green.  Then add any remaining ingredients that don’t need to cook for too long, like the beans or sliced mushrooms.  

Ingredients Used:

1/2 T Minced Garlic

1t Celery Salt

1t Red Pepper Flakes (or to taste)

Salt & Ground Black Pepper

8 Cups of Veggie Broth

1 Large Can Diced Tomatoes

2 Cans of White Beans

1/2 Red Onion Chopped

1 Head of Collard Greens or other hearty green

1 Butternut Squash Cubed

1 Zucchini

xo Meg