Welcome to the first Friday Foodie Favorites of 2014! I had to think a little bit when I was writing the title to this post. I am still not used to it being 2014 and not 2013. I have a feeling it will take me several weeks to fully get used to that. But 2014 is going to be a great year, I am convinced of that! And what better way to start it off right than by highlighting some of my most recent favorite recipe finds from around the blogosphere? I thoroughly enjoy trying other bloggers’ recipes and I hope that you love reading about them. When I find something good (or REALLY good), I just have to share it with you!
Friday Foodie Favorites: January 3, 2014
It’s another one of Robyn’s delicious recipes! I made her Spaghetti Squash Pasta Puttanesca a few weeks ago and loved it so much that I made it again over my Christmas break. What else can I say other than that Robyn has some seriously delicious spaghetti squash recipes. Heck, she just has really great recipes in general. If you are a spaghetti squash lover like I am, you really must make this dish. It is ridiculously flavorful, cozy, and veggie-filled. Can it get any better? I think not!
Don’t get me wrong, I love cold massaged kale salads. But a couple of weeks ago I was really craving a warm meal. I had “bookmarked” a warm kale salad back in August, and I knew that this was the perfect time to give it a try. Lindsay’s Warm Balsamic Kale Salad totally hit the spot. I made a few alterations to the original recipe in order to make it vegan by leaving out the butter and subbing in nutritional yeast in place of the cheese. I also followed her recommendation to add in beans for some extra protein. I am a bit obsessed with white Great Northern beans right now, so they were such a tasty addition. If you are craving some kale after the holidays then I highly recommend that you try this dish out. It’s tasty, easy, and an all-around winning combination.
Looks are most certainly deceiving with this next one, but I am SO excited to share it with you. If you are barbecue lover like I am, then you are going to want to pay attention. Trust me, barbecue isn’t just for meat-eaters and Lindsay’s recipe for BBQ Lentil Stew is proof of that! I omitted the sausage in order to make it vegan and served it over roasted spaghetti squash (because clearly I am obsessed). Making this dish was definitely one of the best cooking decisions that I have made lately. If you love BBQ sauce like I do, do yourself a favor and make this ASAP. Oh, and don’t forget to add a little extra BBQ sauce to the top because you can never have too much barbecue! 😉
And finally…I must share this new side dish that I made for Christmas this year. When I was deciding what I was going to contribute to my family’s Christmas meal, I wanted something a bit different from what I would normally make- and also something a bit healthier. I found the perfect side dish after perusing my saved recipes: Anne’s Quinoa Salad with Pecans and Cranberries. I left out the chives because I was not able to find any at the grocery store and I added in green onions. This dish was definitely one of my favorite parts of our Christmas meal this year. It was healthy, delicious, flavorful, and satisfying. I ate seconds of it during the Christmas meal and then ate leftovers during several meals after. This will absolutely be making appearances during future holidays.
I had lots of tasty favorites for you this Friday now didn’t I? Please let me know if you give them a try!
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All of these foods look so good! I am considering switching to a plant based diet? What are your thoughts and suggestions?
I am not completely switched over to a full plant-based diet (though I hope to be someday). I recommend adding in some plant-based “days” into your diet or just simply trying to eat 80/20 (80% plant-based/20% vegetarian or meat-eating) to start. That way you won’t feel like you are depriving yourself and can switch over a bit more easily. Eating mostly plant-based has been awesome for me and I LOVE cooking vegan and trying new vegan foods. I think you will have a similar experience when you see just how good vegan food is. Also, remember that eating mostly plant-based generally means you are eating fewer calories so you will likely need to eat MORE in order to maintain a healthy weight. You might also look into taking a B12 supplement as that is the one nutrient that vegans are sometimes lacking. Otherwise, enjoy your veggies, fruits, carbs, and plenty of healthy fats (nuts, nut buters, avocado, EVOO)!
A good-looking round-up of eats. I’d love to try the spaghetti squash puttanesca. I have such a weakness for spaghetti squash. Seriously every time I see one at the store I feel compelled to buy it. 🙂 Have a nice weekend!
I hear you! I am pretty much obsessed with it right now. I am going to be so sad once it is out of season and super expensive :(.
I love a good quinoa salad — especially when cranberries [and Justin’s AB] are involved. I haven’t made a savoury one in a while though, so maybe it’s time to look into that.
Happy Friday!
Justin’s AB is obviously my one true love, but quinoa is definitely high up there on the list too :).
can i come over next time you make all these? YUM
Haha, you bet!!! 🙂
We have been eating more Vegan lately and the one thing I have not ventured to is Spaghetti Squash- must try!!!
Oh my, yes you must!! It is SO good and GOOD for you :).
Lindsay’s bbq lentil stew is on my list of things to make!
You definitely need to! It is AWESOME!
Everything looks super delicious! I’ve been eyeing lots of Lindsey’s recipes lately.
Her recipes are awesome! You definitely need to try some of them out :).
I’m so glad you enjoyed my quinoa recipe! 🙂
It was awesome! Thank YOU for sharing it!
That kale salad is calling my name! I love both kale and balsamic vinegar so that recipe sounds like I would definitely love it. That spaghetti squash look delicious too as do ALL these recipes! We must have similar tastebuds because these are all recipes that I would try too. 😉
So basically what you are saying is that our tastebuds are AWESOME!! 😉