scallions – Do The Work Today

I apologize for the delay in posting, but last week was a crazy work week.

I wanted to share my Vegan Lasagna recipe, but in order to complete the full recipe I wanted to share the recipes for the Healthy Red Sauce and the Vegan Nut-Free Seed Ricotta Cheese.

I’ll start with what I call my Healthy Red Sauce. Essentially, after years of cooking a traditional Italian Tomato Sauce, I created this recipe to (1) reduce the amount of tomatoes (trying to reduce the consumption of nightshades) and (2) to add a bunch of other ingredients that I couldn’t get my kids to eat any other way. So I essentially sneak them into the sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Can of San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes

1 Cup of Carrot

1 Cup of Celery

1 Cup of Butternut Squash (blended)

3 Shallots

3 Scallions

3 Tbsp of Olive Oil

4 Cloves of Garlic

1″ of Fresh Ginger

1″ of Fresh Tumeric

1/2 Cup of Fresh Parsley (Italian Flat or Regular)

1/2 Cup of Fresh Oregano

1 Tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tsp of Balsamic Vinegar

2-3 Cups of Water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional – 1 Tbsp of Dried Italian Herbs

(1) Add the Olive Oil to a large saucepan and put on medium heat

(2) Add finely diced garlic and cook for 1 minute

(3) Add the chopped ginger and tumeric and cook for another minute

(4) Add the diced shallot and cook for an additional minute

(5) Add the diced carrots, diced celery, chopped scallions, and apple cider vinegar. Cook for 3-5 minutes until soft

(6) Add 1 Cup of pureed Butternut Squash, stir and cook for another 2 minutes

(7) Add the Can of San Marzano tomatoes, smash and mix with other ingredients

(8) Mix all the ingredients together and add your water. The less water the thicker your sauce. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to simmer, cover and continue to cook.

(9) Add your chopped parsley

(10) Add your chopped oregano, balsamic vinegar, and Italian herbs

(11) Let simmer for 3-6 hours and then your sauce is ready to use.

Happy Sunday. I hope everyone has been able to find some time to rest and relax.

While I love lazy Sundays, it also means meal prep for Team Harrison. This week is particularly unique, because it’s the first time we are integrating our new diet with the kids meals. This means we will be trying to remove diary, gluten, nuts, and animal protein as much as possible. This doesn’t mean we are going to force the kids to follow some strict diet, but rather change the foods we put in front of them and see how it goes. I thought I had convinced Scout that Hemp milk was delicious, but she said it was gross so I bought her regular grass fed, organic Whole Milk. Remember, this is a journey, so nothing is going to happen overnight.

For the first half of the week, I am preparing Lettuce Wraps, Vegan Lasagna, Kale and White Bean Soup, Pesto Chickpea Pasta, and some Greensbury Organic Free Range Chicken tenders with gluten free crust.

A few people reached out and asked me if I wouldn’t mind sharing some of the recipes, so today I’ll share the Lettuce Wraps.

This recipe is derived is from Longeve, the company where I buy my plant based protein crumbles. Thus far, I’ve only used this product for the Lettuce Wraps and Vegan Lasagna, but I am really impressed at the quality and taste of their product. I’ve modified the recipe to fit my nutritional needs, but you can find the original recipe here.

FILLING:

1 1/2 cups of Longeve crumbles

1/4 cup of coconut aminos

2 tsp of toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp of sunflower butter

2 tsp of ginger, fresh grated

1 tsp of sriracha

1 cup of mushrooms (for my diet I use shiitake or maitake), finely chopped

1 shallot, diced

2 tbsp of coconut oil

2 tsp of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped

1 cup of carrots, finely chopped

1/2 cup of scallions, sliced

14 oz can of bamboo shoots, drained and chopped

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 head of Bibb lettuce, separated for wraps

1 tbsp of sesame seeds toasted

1 cup of mung bean sprouts

SAUCE:

1/4 cup of coconut aminos

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

PREPARATION:

(1) Prepare the Longeve crumbles by adding 3/4 cup of hot water and let sit for 5 minutes

(2) Whisk the coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sunflower butter, grated ginger and sriracha until smooth and put aside for later

(3) Heat the coconut oil to in a large skillet over medium to high heat.

(4) Add garlic

(5) Add mushrooms

(6) Add Longeve crumbles and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently

(7) Add shallots and lower heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes more, while continuing to stir

(8) Add garlic, carrot, scallions, and bamboo shoots and cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring occassionally

(9) Add Cilantro

(9) Add the prepared sauce mixture to the skillet and stir to combine all the ingredients. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes

(10) Remove from heat, salt and pepper to taste

(11) Place two spoonfuls of the cooked mixture into the Bibb Lettuce leaf. Drizzle some sauce and top with bean sprouts, scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

I hope you enjoy.