Gluten-Free

Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowls

Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowls made with spaghetti squash, asian spices, and veggies! Made in one pan on the stovetop for an easy workweek dinner.

Hello, winter!

Tonight I brought in the winter solstice at my yoga studio by doing 108 sun salutations in honor of the longest day of the year.

But now I’m hungry, so let’s all congregate in the kitchen and get warm.

Cooking always seems to become more of a priority this time of year, when hot healthy food is the center to family gatherings and the oven is a source of warmth.

I thought we could kickstart the new year with these Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowls that are super comforting and packed with cozy cooked veggies and a tangy Asian flair.

These bowls are the perfect easy meal for #meatlessmonday or any day of the week, requiring only one baked spaghetti squash, one pan, and all the veggies and spices your heart desires.

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Creamy Cauliflower Rice Risotto

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Gluten and grain-free cauliflower rice with a coconut milk base and simple seasonings. Perfect as the base to your plant-based meal or as a cozy side.

Well it’s been an interesting past few days being phone-less, friends.

My iPhone started displaying some troubling signs on Sunday but I ignored them.

On Monday the touch screen was fickle and only worked about 50% of the time.

Yesterday (Tuesday), the screen was frozen for the entirety of the day, save a few 10 minute pockets of time where I managed to put up a few Instagram stories and backup my phone to the Cloud.

Today I finally made my way to the Apple store and received a shiny new phone for my faulty display troubles.

So now I’m getting settled with a full iCloud restore and getting reacquainted with being “in touch”.

I joked that the technical difficulties were the universe’s not so subtle way of telling me to take a break already.

Which I fully intend to…after I share this Creamy Cauliflower Rice Risotto with you.

This plant-based version of risotto with cauliflower rice and mushrooms will keep you cozy and satisfied this winter!

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Black Sesame Butter Banana Bread

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Black sesame butter bread made with black sesame seed butter and bananas with a touch of cacao. Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally sweet!

Hi!

Long time no talk.

I’ve been feeling a little short on words lately, as if my communication is congruent with the darkening days.

The winter solstice is this Saturday– the darkest day of the year.

I know this because I googled it and I googled it because I still use natural lights for all of my photoshoots.

So the darker earlier days really rains on my food photography parade, you know?

I also know this because I have a 90-min Winter Solstice Yoga Flow class on Thursday night where we do 108 sun salutations to welcome winter with warmth.

Anyway, you haven’t missed a whole lot behind the scenes.

Yoga teacher training and photoshoots keeps me busy during the day and in the evenings I cozy up and watch Christmas movies on Netflix.

In fact, I think I’ve watched more Christmas movies this year than any other year on record.

They’ve got a lot going for them: they always have happy endings and the soundtrack is all Christmas music.

SOLD.

This Black Sesame Butter Banana Bread also has a lot going for it.

It’s made in 1-bowl with less than ten ingredients for a decadent dessert or breakfast bread that’s vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally sweet!

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Almond Flour Cashew Butter Snickerdoodles

By Flora & Vino 8 Comments

Almond flour cashew butter snickerdoodle cookies that are vegan, grain-free, oil-free, and rolled in plenty of cinnamon and unrefined coconut sugar.

Is it cookie season yet?!

I kind of can’t believe that my big December calendar shows only a little over two weeks to Christmas.

Don’t tell my family and friends, but I haven’t even started my Christmas shopping yet.

Aside from my mini blue spruce tree adorned with all of my childhood ornaments and the Christmas music on repeat, I feel pretty unprepared for the holiday.

This past weekend I had yoga teacher training every day with a 15K race early Sunday, so I have quite literally been on the run.

But I did make cookies.

These Almond Flour Cashew Butter Snickerdoodles are the perfect healthier holiday cookie, complete with just 7 ingredients.

Bake them in 10 minutes for a vegan, grain-free, oil-free, and refined sugar-free twist on the classic cookie!

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Mint Dark Chocolate Coconut Layer Bars

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Vegan and grain-free mint dark chocolate coconut layer bars made with a cacao date-nut base, sweet coconut butter center, and mint dark chocolate top.

The expiration date on my almond milk this morning read “12 04” in blue typeface and I thought to myself, oh, good, I’ve got time to enjoy it.

Except I didn’t because looking down at my iPhone calendar I realized that it’s already December, actually, and today is December 4th.

So I poured a big glass of almond milk and chugged it while it lasts.

Kind of like my almost expired almond milk, I feel like the end of this year is going to be here before we know it.

Today there are exactly three weeks until Christmas and four weeks until we ring in 2020- WHAT.

The end of this year just feels heavy, you know?

I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately, honestly, with awkward energy flowing between efforting through December tasks and making big plans for the next.

So, maybe we could use a refresher?

These Mint Dark Chocolate Coconut Layer Bars are a great refreshing distraction to this busy season.

They’re delicious in three easy layers that are vegan, grain-free, and naturally sweetened with no bake time required!

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Gingerbread Bliss Balls

By Flora & Vino 4 Comments

Gingerbread inspired energy balls made with oat flour, Medjool dates, molasses, and a festive spice blend. Perfect for a holiday season pick me up.

Hey, how was your Thanksgiving?

If you’re like me, the morning after the big meal you hastily turned on the Christmas music.

Something about blasting Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey instantly transports me into the holiday spirit.

Do you have your tree and decorations up yet?

I’m 50% of the way there.

I have the miniature red and white tree-skirt I couldn’t resist buying from Target, before, you know, finding a mini tree to go with it.

The ornaments are out too; a heart-warming hodgepodge of handmade childhood ornaments, classic glass balls, hanging figurines dated by birthdays and ages, glistening cupcakes and my favorite, a sparkling avocado toast (no explanation needed).

So when I finally get my tree, I’ll be decorating it with all of this plus Gingerbread Bliss Balls.

Because everyone needs a little festive fuel to deck the halls!

These gingerbread inspired energy bites are ready in under 10 minutes to fuel you through your busy holiday season.

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Black Bean & Quinoa Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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Baked sweet potatoes stuffed with vegan chili served warm with your favorite chili toppings. Perfect for football Sunday and easy weeknight meals.

In yoga teacher training recently we talked about our cold-weather food cravings.

Which makes sense because the room we congregate in for teacher training is FAH-REEZING.

BRRR.

It also makes sense because doing all the yoga makes you crave all the food.

Anyway, we (the collective YTT group) agreed that all we want to eat lately are carbs, and by carbs, we mean sweet potatoes.

And what better

You might have had sweet potato in your chili before, so this is a similar concept…except better.

Sweet potatoes and chili are two of my favorite plant-based comfort foods, so together, they create unparalleled edible bliss.

These Black Bean & Quinoa Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are ready in under and hour to add to your weekly winter meal rotation.

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Lentil Oat Loaf (Vegan & Gluten-Free!)

By Flora & Vino 15 Comments

Vegan lentil oat loaf with cooked lentils, gluten-free oats, diced vegetables, spice, and plenty of ketchup. Serve with sides for plant-based dinner!

Back when Dan and I first started dating we thought it was a good idea to have his parents over for dinner at his apartment.

Instead of ordering pizza or takeout, I offered to cook, hoping the perfect meal would make me an instant hit with his parents.

Dan’s dad requested meatloaf, so, naturally, I made the fanciest version I could find on the web.

The dinner was a blur of wine and laughter and dirty dishes in good company.

Despite its success, that meatloaf was the first and last of its kind that came out of my kitchen.

The whole plant-based thing coupled with my limiting belief that ‘meatloaf is hard to make’ held me back.

Until now.

This Lentil Oat Loaf is packed with protein, fiber, and veggies to keep you satisfied.

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Butternut Squash Noodle Cranberry Salad

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Roasted butternut squash salad with squash noodles, yellow onion, fresh sage, and dried cranberry. Perfect for a vegan and gluten-free holiday side dish!

A few years ago my parents served a warm butternut squash cranberry salad for the Thanksgiving Day spread.

One fateful forkful and I was in love and obviously I went back for seconds.

It was simple and elegant; equal parts sweet and savory.

After our plates were cleared I asked my mom about the recipe and she admitted that it was a Whole Foods pick up.

No shame in the catering game, friends.

Anyway, years later, (this year, to be exact!) I discovered the same squash dish at Whole Foods in the hot foods section.

I picked it up and checked out the simple ingredients: butternut squash, cranberries, onion, sage, and seasonings…etc.

Cart frozen in action, blocking the hot bar, I had an epiphany.

“Hey, I can make this. And I might be able to make it even better.”

Tis Butternut Squash Noodle Cranberry Salad is quick and easy with naturally sweetened dried cranberries, succulent squash, and savory sage.

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Vegan Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie

By Flora & Vino 4 Comments

Vegan dark chocolate pecan pie with a grain-free crust, a Medjool date-sweetened filling, and plenty of dark chocolate chunks. A decadent holiday pie!

Today on Instagram I stumbled across a quiz with deep questions, like…

Coffee or tea? (Matcha, obviously.)

Breakfast or Brunch? (Breakfast is the best meal of the day!)

Cake or Pie? (Hmmm…)

Now this is a tough one, guys, but, when pressed by the bold letters of the quiz screenshot, I had to say pie.

There’s just something about warm filling inside a crispy triangle crust that just GETS ME.

Particularly if it’s this Vegan Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie.

This decadent pie needs to make an appearance on your holiday dessert table this year!

It’s made with just seven ingredients while being oil-free, gluten and grain-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free.
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Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowls

Creamy Cauliflower Rice Risotto

Black Sesame Butter Banana Bread

Almond Flour Cashew Butter Snickerdoodles

Mint Dark Chocolate Coconut Layer Bars

Gingerbread Bliss Balls

Black Bean & Quinoa Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Lentil Oat Loaf (Vegan & Gluten-Free!)

Butternut Squash Noodle Cranberry Salad

Vegan Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie

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