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Friday Foodie Favorites: December 5, 2014

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Friday, oh how I love thee!  Fridays are always my favorite day of the work week, but I especially look forward to them on the weeks when I am getting back from an extra long weekend.  I think most people would agree that going back to work after having five days off is so tough.  I spent my week catching up on voicemails and e-mails, and the week seemed to drag on and on despite me technically only working 4 1/2 days.  It’s funny how that happens, isn’t it?  But… none of that matters now that Friday is officially here!

A Christmas CarolDecember is easily one of the busiest months of the year, and mine is already off to a wild start.  Last night, I checked another thing off of my 2014 bucket list and went to see A Christmas Carol with Erin, Joanna, and Jordan.  The musical is a pretty big tradition here, so I was excited to be a true Omahan (is that right?) during the Christmas season.  I really enjoyed the production, and it got me even more in the holiday spirit- if that’s possible!  I have a nearly jam-packed calendar for the rest of the month, which would normally overwhelm me, but I love the busyness of the holiday season.

Do you know what else I love?  A good recipe.  And lucky for all of us, I have four to share with you today!

Friday Foodie Favorites: December 5, 2014

fffUntil last month, it had been over a year since I had made a cauliflower pizza crust.  But when I came across McKel’s recipe for a version that did not contain cheese, I knew that I had to try it.  I have seen many vegan versions out there (and would love to try them), but I was okay with throwing some eggs into this one.  Even without the cheese, I found the consistency to be the same as my own cauliflower pizza crust, and the flavor was very similar.  I now know that cheese is not necessary for a delicious pizza crust.  This cauliflower pizza crust ended up being even larger than my own crust recipe, which I was definitely not complaining about!  What can I say, I like to eat!  The toppings that I chose for my pizza crust consisted of a hodge podge of various veggies and proteins, including sauce, spinach, sauerkraut, onions, bell peppers, and kidney beans (leftovers from my fridge).  It was a totally random combination, but it ended up being SO delicious.

fff lentil sloppy joesIf you have been around the blog for awhile now, you know I have a serious love for lentils.  One of my favorite ways to eat them is in lentil sloppy joes.  I grew up eating sloppy joes as a kid, so having a vegan version to satisfy that craving is a lifesaver.  In fact, I would go as far as saying that lentil sloppy joes are better than the real deal!  I am a major lover of this lentil sloppy joe recipe, but when I saw Char’s version and all of the extra veggies she snuck into hers, I instantly added it to my meal plan.  We are talking celery, mushrooms, peppers, and onions in this baby!  While I am not a huge fan of mushrooms on their own, I love them in dishes and thought they were the perfect compliment to the lentils for a meaty texture/taste.  I followed Char’s recipe exactly, except I added in some onion powder and garlic powder because I pretty much add that stuff to everything.  I highly recommend adding these delicious sandwiches to your next meal plan.  They are full of fiber, protein, and deliciousness.  Oh, and for the heads up… I’d say these make more around 6 servings for the average person.  Though, like Char, I made mine into 4 <– again with the whole “liking food” thing.

fff soupYou guyyyysss… this soup is. so. good.  I almost cannot even express just how delicious it is.  I made Alex’s Vegan Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup a couple of weekends ago and was in heaven.  If you are a big-time soup lover like I am, you will definitely love this.  It was a bit reminiscent of my “No Chicken” Noodle Chickpea Soup (which may be why I loved it so much), but I really enjoyed the change from the egg noodles to orzo pasta.  This was my first time cooking with orzo, and it definitely will not be the last.  I absolutely adored the texture that it gave to this soup.  Alex was also spot-on with the addition of lemon juice.  It may sound a bit strange at first, but the hint of lemon perfectly complimented the saltiness of the soup.  I can almost guarantee that this will be made again over the next several weeks.  I need to restock my fridge and freezer ASAP!

3c1k friendsgiving 15I wanted to be sure that I shared this final Friday Foodie Favorite with you before Christmas time rolls around.  During our Three Cooks One Kitchen Friendsgiving gathering last week, we made Kelly’s Butternut Squash Gravy.  While I knew that I loved butternut squash, I wasn’t entirely sure what it would taste like in gravy form.  I should have known that Kelly would never lead me astray!  This gravy was a huge hit at the dinner celebration.  The texture was perfect, it was slightly sweet, and yet it still had just the right amount of savoriness to it.  I topped my dressing with it, and it was the best addition that I could have made.  The turkey eaters loved it with their dinner, too!  Can we also talk about how easy it was to make?  If you can chop (or buy pre-cut like we did!), stir, boil, and blend, then you can make this gravy.  Do yourself a favor and add it to your Christmas meal plan.  Or for any meal, really.  I imagine it is fantastic over mashed potatoes and would be a great addition to my Butternut Squash Lentil Loaf!

Pizza, sloppy joes, soup, and gravy made with squash.  Oh yes.  All of those things just happened.  You can thank me later after you cook up these recipes 😉

Have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!

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{ 32 comments… add one }
  • Debbie @ Live from La Quinta December 4, 2014, 11:05 pm
    Wow, the gravy sounds interesting. Who would have thought to make gravy out of butternut squash? Well, Kelly obviously, but who else? Debbie @ Live from La Quinta recently posted...Marathon Miscellany: 26.2 Facts, Thoughts, and MemoriesMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:18 pm
      I know, right? Thank goodness for Kelly! It is so good :)
  • Divya @ Eat. Teach. Blog. December 4, 2014, 11:13 pm
    Oh my gosh! So many good things! Divya @ Eat. Teach. Blog. recently posted...Fun Facts Friday [12/5/14]My Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:19 pm
      SO many, right? I hope you give some a try!
  • Brittany @ Delights and Delectables December 5, 2014, 6:14 am
    I need to check out that butternut squash gravy!!! YUM Brittany @ Delights and Delectables recently posted...Friday Five and FavoritesMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:25 pm
      Yes you sure do! It is awesome and super easy to make. It would be perfect for Christmas dinner, or just on mashed potatoes!
  • Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies December 5, 2014, 6:43 am
    Thanks for the gravy love :) Let me tell you it IS great over mashed potatoes and I'm loving the sound of it over butternut squash lentils loaf. It's probably the perfect combo to coax Josh into eating lentils :-D Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies recently posted...Black Bean & Cream Cheese ChimichangasMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:34 pm
      Ahh, yes!! How can he said no to lentils covered in that?? ;)
  • jess meddows December 5, 2014, 7:51 am
    I love this post, so many things as a vegan I can eat here! :D
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:37 pm
      You bet! And who said vegan food isn't delicious?? ;)
  • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine December 5, 2014, 8:42 am
    So much comfort eats right there ;)
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:39 pm
      You are so right. Every single one of these is a definite comfort food!
  • Bree December 5, 2014, 9:10 am
    This is an amazing list, I think I'm going to have to make that soup this weekend, it sounds so good!
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:40 pm
      It is truly awesome. You definitely should!
  • Stacie @ SimplySouthernStacie December 5, 2014, 9:22 am
    Your first paragraph pretty much took all the thoughts out of my head about this week! It's been so, so rough, but it's Friday so we're all good : ) Have a great weekend! Stacie @ SimplySouthernStacie recently posted...Friday Faves: Christmas MoviesMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:47 pm
      We made it through the week! Yay :) I hope your weekend is going great so far!
  • Kirtley @ The Gist of Fit December 5, 2014, 9:24 am
    YAY!!!! A new blog that eats like me!!!! Totally a huge fan of you:) Thanks for the recipe ideas, totally looking them up! You totally rock! Kirtley @ The Gist of Fit recently posted...Half marathon recap + spoiler alertMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:48 pm
      Aww, thanks Kirtley! I'm so glad you love to eat GOOD food! Thanks for stopping by. Don't be a stranger :)
  • meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles December 5, 2014, 9:37 am
    I haven't made a cauliflower crust in a while now either and would love to make it without cheese. And I would love to make the lentil sloppy joes - my son would eat it too! It's all about the flavor and texture which lentils can give even to a meat eater. I may make it this weekend for next week. meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles recently posted...One Of Those PeopleMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:49 pm
      Lentil sloppy joes are easily one of my favorite things to make...ever! They are SO good and so comforting :)
  • Alysia @ Slim Sanity December 5, 2014, 9:44 am
    I don't know why, I just can't get down with the cauliflower crust. When I want pizza, I just want my wheat crust I guess! :) Alysia @ Slim Sanity recently posted...Fitness Gift GuideMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:51 pm
      Haha, trust me I can't eat just cauli pizza crust ;) I am totally with you on needing crispy wheat crust from time to time too!!
  • Alex Caspero MA,RD (@delishknowledge) December 5, 2014, 10:07 am
    Butternut squash gravy! What!? That looks so good! Love that idea! Thank you so much for including my lemon soup recipe and I'm glad you enjoyed it! Have a great weekend Hannah! Alex Caspero MA,RD (@delishknowledge) recently posted...Thanksgiving in VegasMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:52 pm
      Thank YOU for making it! It is SO GOOD! I already have plans to make it again soon :)
  • Kristen :: Kristen Runs December 5, 2014, 12:25 pm
    Everything on here looks so good! Especially the Orzo Soup! I hope to make some of these soon!
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:54 pm
      The orzo soup is definitely one of my favorite soups EVER. It is so good! You definitely need to make it.
  • Christina @ The Beautiful Balance December 5, 2014, 2:39 pm
    That cauliflower crust pizza looks perfect and so do the lentil sloppy joes! Christina @ The Beautiful Balance recently posted...Gift Guide for the Food BloggerMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:54 pm
      Both were awesome! They are great healthy versions of classic comfort foods!
  • Farrah December 5, 2014, 3:08 pm
    Ahhh! That looks awesome! I definitely need to try out that butternut squash gravy! I have a couple bags of lentils I keep saying I'm gonna make something with... Maybe this or next weekend, I'll finally do it! Farrah recently posted...Foodie Friday: Tikka Masala Pizza Cake / Fit & Fashionable FridayMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:55 pm
      Do it! Make yourself some lentil sloppy joes. I promise you won't regret it :)
  • Brittany December 5, 2014, 10:06 pm
    I need all this food in my life...right now.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl December 6, 2014, 9:56 pm
      I know, right? I wish it would all magically appear in my kitchen again RIGHT NOW!
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