Corn & Zucchini Tacos with Chickpea & Walnut 'Meat'

This is one of the best weeknight meals around, vegan or otherwise! These tacos are super fast, healthy, there’s very little prep, everyone loves them, the tacos are customizable to tastes, and they leave little cleanup. A giant win in my book!

These aren’t much to look at, but I guarantee you that everyone is going to love them! Quite possibly one of Todd and my favorite meals, these tacos are so quick and easy to whip up. Perfect for a busy weeknight. Oliver really enjoyed putting the lettuce on the tacos too, so kid-friendly! Yay!

Have you watched the Tidying Up with Marie Kondo show on Netflix? I read her book several years ago and still fold my clothes in her very particular way, even though I found the book to be slightly absurd. We watched the show a couple weeks ago and pretty much turned our house upside-down. I don’t know what it was about actually watching her go through with people and help them ‘tidy up’ but it really made an impact on us. If you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth the watch! Okay, PSA over. Now it’s taco-time!!

Corn & Zucchini Tacos with Chickpea & Walnut 'Meat'

By Kathleen @ Produce On Parade

This is one of the best weeknight meals around, vegan or otherwise! These tacos are super fast, healthy, there’s very little prep, everyone loves them, the tacos are customizable to tastes, and they leave little cleanup. A giant win in my book!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 15 oz can of sweet corn, drained well
• 2-3 small zucchinis, diced small
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 ¼ cup whole raw walnuts
• 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• ½ small head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 8-10 taco-size flour tortillas
• Sprinkle of shredded vegan mozzarella
• Spoonful of salsa, to taste

Ingredients

1. Over medium, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, saute the corn and zucchini for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. While the veggies fry, place the chickpeas through the garlic powder into a food processor. Pulse several times, until the mixture resembles taco meat. There should be small chunky bits of walnuts and chickpeas, and the spices should be well blended. Transfer to a microwave safe bowl.
3. Prep the veggies. Microwave the taco meat for about 1-2 minutes, until warm. Heat the stack of tortillas in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds, to heat.
4. To assemble the tacos, place lettuce on one taco, followed by taco meat and pan-fried veggies and then the remaining veggies. Top with a sprinkle of shredded vegan mozzarella and a spoonful of salsa, to taste, on each taco. Divide the fillings evenly between all the tortillas. Serve hot.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5
Total time: 15
Yield: 8-10 tacos

Simple Creamy Vegetable Soup + My Alaska Earthquake Story

This is a wonderfully simple and delectable soup. Chunks of hearty sweet potato, zucchini, and broccoli swim in a flavorful, creamy broth for a quick and healthy meal that’s great for a weeknight. This really is a new favorite meal that’s a great way to use up any leftover canned coconut milk in your fridge.

I’m not sure if you may heard the front page news, but on Friday Alaska had one of it’s biggest and most destructive Earthquakes to date. I posted some photos of our house and a couple of the collapsed overpasses and roads on my social media sites, which you can see here.

I’ll try to keep my story short.

I was at work when it hit. It was 8:30 in the morning and I had just settling in, drinking my coffee and looking over our patients and schedule for the day. When our building began to shake I sat for a second or two assessing how severe this was going to be. We get a lot of earthquakes in Alaska and most of them are minor. However, when the earth continued to shake I fell under my desk. The shaking became so violent, more than I’d ever felt, and all I could think about was Oliver and Todd at home. “Are they safe, are they safe, are they safe,” was all that rushed through my mind.

Finally, the shaking stopped after what felt like forever but turned out to only be a couple minutes (which is actually an etinerity when you’re in a massive earthquake). We ended up evacuating our clinic and I raced home. There were ambulances everywhere and the roads were packed. None of the roads I had to travel on were damaged but the photo below is ten minutes from my work.

Photo by Marc Lester

Todd and Oliver made it through unscathed (well, except for Todd’s left foot). Oliver was standing on his stool pictured below when it started. Todd grabbed him and they huddled under our dining room table until the shaking stopped. When I got home we proceeded to clean up A TON of broken glass and dishes over the weekend. Lots of large, custom framed art pieces I did broke. Several potted plants took a hit. Items flew off of shelves and Oliver’s room looked like a herd of dinosaurs stomped through, with lamps and monitors swinging off the desk. Everything on any table or desk fell to the floor. Several pieces of our siding cracked and there are a couple cracks in our interior walls but no serious damage. There’s a huge gouge in the earth in our front lawn that I literally stuck my ENTIRE hand in! It was crazy that the shaking actually opened up our childproof cabinets!

Oliver walked around most of the day pointing sadly at everything and telling us, “Broke, broke, broke..”. The aftershocks have been keeping everyone on pins and needles as we continue to experience very large quakes. Everytime one comes rumbling to life Oliver shakes his head pleading, “No, no, no…” It’s heartbreaking seeing him in so much fright.

We are so thankful no friends or family were hurt and nothing of super valuable or sentimental broke. Our family is definitely shaken though and I’m compelled to hold my babies a little tighter. There are many families who lost their homes and important objects. Several roads literally just fell into the earth. The highway to Anchorage and our international airport have both opened back up and we are all on our way to getting back to our lives.

In the aftermath, I’ve learned to slow down and truly cherish the little moments. Also, to keep a few gallons of water handy in the pantry. In addition, command strips are not earthquake proof. Our art will now be re-installed with nails… #liveandlearn

Simple Creamy Vegetable Soup

By Kathleen @ Produce On Parade
This is a wonderfully simple and delectable soup. Chunks of hearty sweet potato, zucchini, and broccoli swim in a flavorful, creamy broth for a quick and healthy meal that’s great for a weeknight. This really is a new favorite meal that’s a great way to use up any leftover canned coconut milk in your fridge.
Ingredients

• ½ medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 small/medium zucchinis, diced
• 1 medium bunch of broccoli; florets only, chopped
• 16 oz vegetable broth
• 1 tsp seasoning salt or table salt
• ¾ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp celery seed
• dash of white pepper (black pepper will work)
• 1 cup canned coconut milk

Instructions

1. In a medium soup pot over medium heat, dry-saute the onions and garlic until they become fragrant and soften. Add the sweet potato and saute an additional 5 minutes while preparing the rest of the soup.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the coconut milk. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer and cook for about 8-10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
3. Remove from heat and stir in coconut milk. Serve hot.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15
Total time: 20
Yield: 4

Farfalle with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes

I love quick and easy dinners and this veggie packed, healthy pasta dish is a wonderful weeknight meal. Another great thing: it’s a terrific way to get a variety of nutritious vegetables into those picky eaters. My toddler actually picked out the zucchini to eat! I know your family will love this Farfalle with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes as much as we do.

Do you need a break from pumpkin? A temporary reprieve from smothering holiday food? Me too. Stand down stuffing and mashed potatoes; we need some tasty, fresh veggies up in here! No worries, my friend. Tender zucchini, hearty mushrooms, and fresh cherry tomatoes are here to save you from eggnog overload.

This is a wonderful meal because it’s easy, quick and really easy on the wallet. Todd and I have decided to cut back our grocery bill because it has been a little wild this past year. There are so many amazing, new vegan finds in the grocery store and while I love testing them out we need to get back to basics: more whole foods and less vegan meats, cheeses, and processed foods. I made a goal to have rice, beans, and lentils all once per week. They should all be in our diets more, and surprise, they are about as inexpensive as it gets! Of course, if I see a brand new fun vegan option I obviously have no willpower to stop myself from trying it. See my Instagram, Facebook , or Twitter to peek at what I’ve been finding here in Alaska on our store shelves.

In the next months, be on the lookout for easy, inexpensive, healthy meals posted on the blog. It’s been real busy in our household with family and friends and to be frankly honest, we are having so much fun I have a hard time finding the time needed to dedicate to posting more regularly but I am going to try! I mean, have you seen how cute Oliver is?

Farfalle with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

I love quick and easy dinners and this veggie packed, healthy pasta dish is a wonderful weeknight meal. Another great thing: it’s a terrific way to get a variety of nutritious vegetables into those picky eaters. My toddler actually picked out the zucchini to eat! I know your family will love this Farfalle with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes as much as we do.

Ingredients

• 8 oz bowtie (farfalle) or penne pasta, uncooked
• 2 tbsp vegan butter (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• ½ pound fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ½ pint fresh cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 tsp seasoning salt or table salt
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• dash of white pepper (black pepper will work in a pinch)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• ½ cup canned coconut milk (you can use any non-dairy milk but it won't be as creamy)
• 1 heaping tbsp tapioca starch or cornstarch

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package until al dente. Reserve 2-4 tbsp of cooking water and drain. Set aside.
2. In a large rimmed frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes for about 5 minutes until the zucchini is slightly tender. Stir in the salt, thyme, pepper and green onions.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the coconut milk and tapioca starch. Add to the vegetables over medium heat; stirring continuously for about 1-2 minutes, until it’s thickened into a sauce and coats the vegetables.
4. Stir in the reserved 2-4 tbsp cooking water, until the sauce reaches your desired thickness then add in the pasta. Stir well to combine and serve hot.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 00:25
Total time: 00:30
Yield: 4 servings

Save Money!

I buy my canned coconut milk here, at half price almost. It’s only $2.12 per can versus $3.99 per can at our local grocery store!

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