As a little girl, some of my favorite memories were hanging out in Helena, Montana with my cousins. Boating, tubing, crafts, baseball games and yummy food.  My aunt Mary had a sign in her kitchen that read, Mary’s Vegetarian Kitchen, and to this day I believe she was a huge part of my journey towards a whole foods, plant-based diet.

With that being said, I have a real treat for you guys today! I decided it would be fun to interview a person who is not only near and dear to my heart, but is also a powerful voice for the evolution of our planet. We’ve known each other since he was born and have slept in the same bed many times. Simmer down, he’s my cousin and grew up in Mary’s Vegetarian Kitchen.

He’s worked with several celebrities and is following his bliss on a daily basis.  I’ve been following his amazing pictures and posts on Facebook for quite some time, and begging him to either open a restaurant or hook a cousin up with some recipes! I’m super stoked and honored to introduce you to Cody Chaet, the founder of Vegan Lifestyle Academy.

Q. What inspired Your Vegan Lifestyle? 

Ultimately, it was parents who inspired me. They raised me a vegetarian in a very non vegetarian friendly environment which took a strong backbone. As time went on, a lot of my family members began eating meat for a few years, including myself. Ultimately my dad led me in the vegan direction. He became diabetic type 2 when i was much younger and when the condition progressed and it became time to step in and help out. I moved back home to MT from LA and helped assist my parents back onto a Vegetarian track. He then went Vegan and went running straight for Raw Vegan. I was so inspired by the transformation that i embraced the lifestyle and discovered my career.

Q. What does Veganism mean to you?

In my opinion, Veganism means a healthier happier life. I do love the idea of obtaining radiant health simply through eating delicious food. But ULTIMATELY, Veganism means NOT killing harmless animals to satiate our ignorance. Evolution may have required as at one time to hunt and eat meat for survival but now we are just plain ignorant. We eat meat not for survival but to satisfy our palate and our hunger needs in a specific way. I don't refer to Ignorance as a derogatory or degrading term. I simply break the word down and help people realize that it means to IGNORE(ance) the truth.

Q. Do you miss meat?

NO, i don't miss killing animals. It does not make me happy. I do what makes me happy.

Q. What is the mission behind Vegan Lifestyle Academy? 

The VLA is a lifestyle Support & Education System. It was designed to both educate people on the facts of extracting meat, dairy and eggs from your everyday consumption and replacing them with higher quality group of proteins and food sources. The Education consists of cooking demos, private cooking lessons, and even large group discussions. The support system is catering anything from breakfast, lunch, dinner to a party or special event. People have many different needs and i try to fill those needs in any way that i can. That includes helping them off animal products progressively onto a plant based diet.

Q. What has been the highlight of your career so far? 

I would have to say the major highlight of my career has been truly helping people better themselves from the inside to the outside. It has been the most rewarding. I have worked with some incredible and some even really famous celebrities. However working with a high profile person is not nearly as rewarding as knowing you saved a life or saved a marriage.

Q. I think many people want to incorporate more vegan foods into their diet but don't know how. How would you recommend people begin transitioning to a more plant-based diet?

I highly recommend before even eliminating certain foods from one's diet, i recommend buying a Vita-mix and begin drinking green smoothies daily. I alwayyyyys use Spinach as my green base. It seems to hide nicely where as kale and swiss chard stand out over fruit. Once you have integrated green smoothies at least 4-5 days a week. Start taking out one processed, packaged, preserved, meat, diary, egg, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, saturated trans fatty product at a time. BABY STEPS are the key to success. A great green smoothie is Spinach, Strawberries, Banana, 1 T Maca, Lucuma or some kind of superfood powder, Almond or Hemp Milk & ICE.

DELICIOUS!

7. You knew I was gonna ask you for a recipe! Please share!?

Probably my most famous vegetable dish is my maple miso brussels sprouts. I have converted many brussels sprout haters in brussels sprout eaters from this dish alone. 

MAPLE MISO BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Ingredients:
1 C Cup Olive Oil
1/4 +1 T C Maple Syrup
1/2 C Mellow White Miso or Red Miso ( I like red)
2 T Tamari
Brussel Sprouts - 12 CUPS (roughly) The more you use the less saucy. The less the more saucy

Instructions:

1.Blend all Liquids in blender until super smooth and creamy.

2. Half Brussel Sprouts if they are small. Quarter them if they are larger. Toss Halved or Quartered Brussels Sprouts in sauce.

3. Spread evenly on large baking pan and bake at 450 degrees for 25-45 minutes, or until brown and crispy areas are visible.

4. You will know when they are done because the top will be burnt almost. That is the most flavorful version of this. Dark Brown Tops. If you take them out too early, it changes the entire experience.

There you have it! I hope you take a few tidbits that feel authentic to you and incorporate them into your life. For me personally, I am taking away how much we are parents can impact our children by making healthy choices in all areas of our lives. We can change the way future generations relate to food, the animals and the planet! So powerful!

You rock Cody! Thanks for making our world a better place!! 

To learn more about Codycheck out his facebookand don’t forget to “Like” The Vegan Lifestyle Academy.

(Oh how I wish there was a love button!)

You can also catch up with him on Twitter and Instagram

Instagram: VeganLifestyleAcademy

Twitter: VeganLA

As you may or may not know, my dad has been living with us. It’s so great to have him here and I love being able to cook him healthy meals. Just by getting him on these awesome superfood shakes and eating organic whole foods, he’s lost 16.8 lbs in a week! (Perhaps living with a health coach helps too?)

I think the coolest part of watching him experience the beauty of whole foods is that he’s not hungry. He still eats carbs and fats and never feels deprived. He actually pushed part of his meal away the other night because he was full. It was truly a Kodak moment.

One of my dad’s favorite recipes I’ve made so far, was the quinoa “fried rice.” It's also my oldest daughter's favorite. (She calls quinoa baby noodles.)  I love this dish because it's loaded with veggies and full of flavor! In case you’ve been living in a cave, or um, at McDonald’s this past year, quinoa is a protein-rich seed that is a staple for many vegans and vegetarians. It’s a perfect protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids found in animal proteins.  Super cool right?

If you're not vegetarian, feel free to add some high quality animal protein to this dish. If you're vegan, omit the egg. Basically, this is your dish, so do what you want with it :)

Quinoa "Fried Rice"

2 tbsp sesame oil
1 t minced garlic
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup green onions
3 to 4 cups cooked quinoa
2 tbsp mirin (rice wine vinegar)
3 tbsp Bragg’s liquid aminos (use soy sauce or shoyu if you don’t have Bragg’s)
3 eggs
salt + pepper, to taste

Directions

Over medium heat, saute garlic in sesame oil for roughly 1 minute. Add vegetables and cook until thawed, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add quinoa**, soy sauce and mirin. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quinoa has absorbed the liquid.

In the middle of your saucepan, push fried quinoa to the side to create a hole. Crack eggs inside the hole and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Gently mix the quinoa and eggs. Let cook for an additional minute. Mix again. Repeat until egg is completely cooked. Season with salt + pepper.

Top with green onions

**quinoa needs to be briefly rinsed before cooking to remove the coating containing the bitter-tasting saponins.

Well, I did it. I’m officially on week 3 of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset! In case you forgot, week 2 is when you completely eliminate animal products, including diary, eggs, and meat. You’ll move into a more vegetable, fruit, and whole-grain based diet. You add in the detox supplement, which is designed to restore optimum health to your entire gastrointestinal tract, while detoxifying your body.

The book claims that many people experience skin breakouts, while others find themselves releasing toxic emotions they have been holding on to. Check and check! What a week is all I can say. According to others, week 1 was supposed to be the hardest. I however, found week 2 to be more challenging. Here’s why:

In week 2 you are on a vegan diet. I didn't feel as satisfied as I did in week 1. Though I have been vegan in the past, I was also addicted to diet pills and had no sense of hunger or fullness. This phase of the program was a great reminder that my body does better with a little bit of high quality animal protein like organic eggs and wild-caught fish. I need more grounding foods in my diet as I felt a bit flighty this week.

Week 2 I did not stick to the meal plan 100%.  With 100 degree heat, I avoided the oven like the plague and substituted stir-frying and steaming for the baked dishes. (I would be lying if I said I hadn’t mastered the stir-fry. Be. Still. My. Heart. It was divine!) I also fell in love with the vegan sushi and the zucchini-cashew soup, so I made extra and indulged in those in place of other meals. The biggest blessing of all was that in phase 2 I was able to substitute the vegan Shakeology which is super easy and convenient. I also must confess, I didn’t sway from whole foods, but I did cheat. My dear friend Jenny over at Healthy Crush sent me the most amazing house warming gift from one of my favorite raw food companies so I had to indulge a little. (If you haven’t tried Two Moms in the Raw, you’re missing out!)

I had a few challenges this week as well. One was cooking so many meals. I would create 3 meals for myself, 3 for the kids and I was also cooking for my dad. (My husband was out of town.) I felt like I was living in my kitchen. I can imagine this reset would be much easier for people who live alone and aren’t temped by the crust of a grilled cheese sandwich too. I was having some cravings for carbs and would have probably sold my first born for a cheesy breadstick if I hadn't made such a strong commitment to myself.

Another challenge was feeling like a bit of a loner. In our culture, we use to food to connect with one another, and we eat everywhere we go! We meet for lunch, eat at the movies, and buy snacks at the pool. When we’re bored, we eat! When it’s hot, we go get ice cream. I found myself not really wanting to do much so I had to purposely commit to things. I signed up to do The Dirty Dash, a 5k muddy obstacle course where you chug beer halfway through. (Yes, I skipped the beer and the after party. Are you proud of me?)

One thing I wasn’t really prepared for was feeling weepy and having low-level anxiety.  I now know this was simply part of the process and detoxing your physical body also releases emotions that no longer serve you.   As someone with a traumatic history of emotional eating, I must say that this week it was quite powerful to experience my body and emotions fully; without the interference of turning to food in order to cope. I’ve come to understand over the years that our relationship with food is nothing but an expression of what is going on internally. Our bodies match our beliefs. It really is that simple. I felt that more than ever this week. Through this process, I’ve been able to connect even deeper with the fact that food is nothing more than something to sustain and nourish me. I give it too much power at times. The thought of doing anything to disrupt that bliss has completely lost its appeal. Experiencing and learning more about myself and my relationship has become my main intention for the following week. In other words, the process has become the goal.

Let me get off my soapbox now. Whew! The week was intense but worthwhile. Overall, I feel pretty dang good today. I only lost a pound, but I’m more than okay with that since my intention was never to lose weight and at 130 pounds, I’m right where I should be and I've learned that trusting my body is all part of the journey.

In week 3 I will be restoring my body and adding the revitalize supplement to my diet. Although you are given the option to cut back further on grains, I’m saying, "Hell No!” to that one. Grains, you are my friend and I need you this week! I’m a busy mama and I need all the fuel I can get! Stay tuned :)

June was a whirlwind in every sense of the word for our family. Moving to another state with two kids, two dogs and a bird had me pleading for sanity at times. Kitchenless and living out of a suitcase, we were literally eating out for almost every meal. I felt like a gypsy and found myself craving the stability of a not only a place to call home, but healthy whole foods. (I actually started dreaming about green juice rivers and trees with leaves of kale. That must be what heaven looks like.) The bottom-line is that I felt unbalanced, ungrounded and unhealthy. In other words, I felt like shit.

A friend of mine had recently completed the Beachbody 21 Day Ultimate Reset. When I saw her after completion, she looked amazing. Her skin was glowing, her energy was amazing, and although she didn’t set out to lose weight, she found herself ten pounds lighter. Most importantly, she was able to take an in-depth look at her relationship with food and use this information to continue her journey towards optimum health. As I was reading the stories on Facebook, I couldn’t believe that one gentleman dropped 31 pounds and another woman lowered her cholesterol 75 points in only 21 days!! Insanity! Sign me up! Right!? 

Last Monday, although slightly intimidated, I began the reset. Being an avid juicer, and heavily relying on whole food shakes out of sheer convenience, the thought of preparing every single meal made me clench my jaw a little bit. Could I really commit to this?   Regardless of the occasional self-doubt, I set my intentions for renewed energy, improved mental clarity, improved moods and a deeper connection with my own food and weight issues.

Sunday I did all my shopping for the week. (Thank you Billings for opening a Natural Grocers in anticipation of my move back ;) I watched the DVDs and read through the booklet. I couldn’t help but think that this reset was basically a crash course in the six-month program I offer my own clients. So cool!  But enough with the logistics, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and I will share with you the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Program

Basically I am eating three amazing meals each day. I also take supplements that oxygenize, alkalize, mineralize, detox, revitalize and optimize my body. Because this is an “inner workout”, the program encourages you to limit your working out to 20 minute walks and stretching.

Week 1 is about reclaiming your health. Basically, you’re accessing your body’s inner chemistry and preparing it for change. You’ll slowly remove meat and dairy, which are known to place stress on the digestive system, from your diet.

In the 2nd week, you release the toxic compounds that are stored within your tissues, clogging your cells and blocking proper nutrient absorption. This phase includes a gentle colon cleanse and eating a full vegetarian diet.

During week 3, you restore your metabolism to maximum efficiency, putting nutrients, enzymes, and pre-and probiotics back into your system. You'll cut back further on grains and will be eating mostly fruits and vegetables. The good news is that you can incorporate Shakeology into the mix! I love effortless so for me that's a biggie.

The Good

During week one, I haven’t felt hungry. At all. The meals were incredible. Oatmeal with flaxseeds and organic berries, salmon with asparagus, and quinoa salad were a few of my favorites. I felt quite accomplished and satisfied preparing my own meals while still managing to cook for my family. Usually, I’m the mom who is tasting the mac and cheese or eating the crust from the peanut butter and jelly even if I’m not really hungry. I will definitely be more mindful in the future.

Because I’ve never eaten red meat, cutting it out was obviously not a problem. I chose to replace meals that contained yogurt with an organic egg, because dairy and I don’t get along very well. For those of you who are meat eaters, the reset does a wonderful job of slowly phasing animal products out of your diet.

My energy right now is amazing. No coffee. No stimulants. My mental clarity is incredible and I find my patience for my children and life in general is at an all time high. I feel upbeat, grateful and optimistic. Although my intention for this reset was not to lose weight, I am down 7 pounds in one week! That’s insane, especially considering I was eating a lot and didn’t really work out. My exercise consisted of walking to the park and playing some Just Dance 3 with the girls.

The Bad And The Ugly

On day 2 I woke up feeling like I went on a drunken tequila bender the night before. I had a terrible headache and I felt nauseas, achey and weak. My skin broke out and I wanted to sell my children on Craigslist.  (Hey, I’m just being honest.) This only lasted one day and I was able to shift my mindset into viewing this experience as something positive.  My body was working properly and getting rid of toxins. I did have a cup of green tea to soften the withdrawal symptoms. It's crazy how a month of eating like crap can affect your body in such a negative way!

When I started on Monday, I didn’t take in to consideration I would be doing the reset during the 4th of July. We had my little brothers and their friends over and everyone was relaxing, eating and having some beers. For a minute, I wanted to join in the fun, but instead I took a moment and remembered my intention and why I was doing this reset. I’m so thankful I stuck with it!

I can honestly say with how I feel right now, the day of utter hell was totally worth it. My skin is almost cleared up and my energy is through the roof. I know it sounds corny, but I’m high on life!

Conclusion

I’m honestly looking forward to the rest of this experience. Like I said before, in the 2nd week, you release the toxic compounds that are stored within your tissues, clogging your cells and blocking proper nutrient absorption. This phase includes a gentle colon cleanse and eating a full vegetarian diet.

I have found the Beachbody Ultimate Reset to be extremely valuable so far; even for someone like me who knows a ton about health and wellness. I know the effort is worth the results and I’m taking this time to be gentle with myself and offer the same support to myself that I would to one of my clients. I look forward to sharing the rest of my experience with you all!

We’re in the middle of moving back to Montana. Between packing, working, swim lessons, The Bachelorette (yep, I said it) and tying up all the loose ends in Boise, my time in the kitchen has been cut in half and I'm feeling it. Hey, health coaches are human too. All I have to say is thank God forShakeology!

I wanted to make something easy and nutritious that would last a few days so I decided to make this rainbow soba noodle salad with the ingredients I had in my fridge. (Basically, I took ingredients from four different recipes I found online and came up with this gorgeous nutritious masterpiece.) I was really happy about how it turned out though!

Have you ever tried soba noodles? They’re made with buckwheat but don’t be fooled by the name. They’re gluten-free! Buckwheat is actually related to rhubarb, not wheat, rye or barley! Buckwheat has a well-balanced assortment of essential and non-essential amino acids; the building blocks of protein. It is considered a superior source of protein when compared to wheat, rice and even millet!

Bottom line? Buckwheat rocks!

Ready for the recipe? Let’s go!

Salad Ingredients
1 package soba noodles**
1/2 head purple cabbage shredded 
1 bundle chives cut up
1 red pepper diced
1 orange bell pepper diced
1 yellow pepper diced
4 handfuls spinach
1 big bunch of cilantro cut up  (you can never have too much in my opinion)

Dressing
1 lime juiced
4-5 handfuls cilantro (remember you can never have too much)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup shoyu (or soy sauce)
1/4 cup brown sugar brown rice syrup. (This ingredient is optional but I'm not gonna lie. It makes the pasta salad so yummy)
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 garlic cloves minced
1 jalapeno (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped ginger (optional)

Instructions
Cook soba noodles as instructed. Drain and run under cold water. Mix with all the vegetables.

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and toss into the salad. The salad stays good for about 3-4 days :)

Enjoy!!



**Remember to read the label on your soba noodles. Many brands are imposters and use wheat flour with the buckwheat. Not cool but a fact none-the-less.

I've been intrigued with homemade veggie burgers lately. Unfortunately, none of the ingredients made my heart skip a beat. Then, right before we left for Montana, I was thumbing through one of my Whole Living Magazines when I came across something spectacular and borderline holy. Quinoa patties. One look at the ingredients and I knew I needed to make them a part of my life. I’m so glad I did!

For those of you unfamiliar with quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), let me tell you a little something about this super versatile food. Quinoa is an amino acid-rich seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. In fact, it’s the only “grain” that is a perfect protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids found in animal protein. This fact makes it an ideal protein for vegetarians and vegans. Quinoa is amazing for you!! Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard.  Believe it or not, it was once considered "the gold of the Incas." Don’t you love when you learn something new?

When preparing quinoa, I always like to remind clients to wash it first. This removes the soapy looking saponins that coats quinoa seeds. The easiest way to do this is by running cold water over the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer, gently rubbing the seeds together with your hands. This will help remove the bitter taste too.

Now that you have your PHD in quinoa, let’s move on to the recipe. You can make this recipe gluten free by substituting crushed almonds or oat flour for the bread crumbs.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, room temperature
4 large eggs, beaten (organic and local if possible!! The animals are treated so much kinder than factory egg farms)
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1 onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup whole-grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let stand for a few minutes. Form mixture into twelve 1-inch thick patties. (Add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet; add water if too dry.) Mixture can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Working in batches, add patties, cover, and cook until bottoms are deeply browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium if there is no browning after 10 minutes and continue to cook until patties are browned. Flip patties with a spatula and cook the second sides until golden, about 7 minutes. Remove from skillet and cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining patties

Everyone in the family loved these. My husband had this to say, “I’d rather have this than a burger.” Score! 

We made them into “burgers” with some ezekial buns, onion, romaine and a little pineapple-cilantro mustard. I was also thinking about doing a greek style quinoa burger with cucumbers and homemade tzatziki sauce. The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!

It’s been raining and icky here in Boise. (WTF happened to spring?) Maybe that’s why I’ve been in the baking mood. I can’t wait to be in the salad and smoothie mood. That will mean summer is on the horizon!

This muffin recipe is on the back of the Bob’s Redmill flaxseed package. I’ve been making them for years and cannot believe I haven’t shared the recipe with you guys! Of course, I’ve switched some things up. I omitted the flour and used oats instead. I also add chia seeds. Why? Because I can....and I love the added texture.

One of the reasons this recipe makes my heart so happy is because I love having hearty and healthy fiber-loaded muffins around for my kids. You can make a batch and use them throughout the week. A quick breakfast or after school snack. Even my husband loves them and he’s the first to turn his nose at my “cardboard food.”

Just a FYI, the first few times I made these, I pureed the carrots so my kids wouldn’t freak out.

Here's the recipe:

2 1/4 cup oat flour (blend quick oats in the blender)
¾ cup Flaxseed meal
¾ cup brown sugar (I use palm sugar. Low glycemic and just as sweet!)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups pureed or shredded carrots
2 cups shredded apple

In separate bowl mix
¾ cup almond milk
2 organic eggs
2tsp vanilla

Optional (I use raisins and chia seeds)
1 cup raisins or cranberries
1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup chia seeds

Feel free to mess around with the chia seed and flax combo. If you want to do 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup I totally support you and offer up a virtual high five!

Combined just until moistened. Fill muffin papers. Bake muffins at 350 for 20 minutes. Makes 24.

Throw some peanut butter and raw honey on top and enjoy!

**Side Note
You can also use this recipe for a “Baby’s First Birthday Cake!” This is what we did with Carsyn. Use homemade whipped cream or whipped coconut milk for the topping and omit the raisins.  Brilliant.

Altough I'm all for mindful eating, feel free to eat these like my three-year-old.

When I was in California for Christmas, my husband took me to Whole Foods. We don’t have one in Boise, so needless to say, I was in HEAVEN! I seriously felt high. Before we checked out, I made my way over to the pre-made foods harbored safely behind glass casing. That’s when I spotted a little piece of culinary genius calling out my name. Acorn squash stuffed with quinoa, almonds, barley, cranberries and much more! $5.99 and it was all mine!

So, let’s cut to the chase. It was fantastic!! So fantastic that I eagerly jumped online and googled the recipe hoping to mimic its sheer awesomeness. I was left disappointed. Every recipe I found for the “Whole Foods Stuffed Acorn Squash” was more than I wanted to commit to.  Although rated as being super delicious, it was also labeled as being time consuming as all heck. This wouldn’t work for me. I had to let go. For now.

I know this sounds super crazy, but once back in Boise, I couldn’t stop thinking about that dang acorn squash recipe. It was that good! Then, on one of my monthly (all right weekly) Costco runs, I encountered the best thing since organic non-GMO sliced bread. Smack dab in the middle of the frozen section was Village Harvest Whole Grain Creations with barley, quinoa, wheatberries, cranberries and almonds! That’s right folks. EVERYTHING that was in my beloved stuffed squash from Whole Foods!! I wouldn’t have to spend hours tediously cooking every grain in my cupboard.

I was able to recreate the Whole Food squash recipe with a fraction of the labor and price. Of course, I’m a little bias, but I actually think mine was better. In fact, if you live in Boise, I suggest dropping everything you have going on and running to your nearest Costco. I’m dead serious. There is so much you can do with this one product!

Here’s the recipe. All you need is some acorn squash, olive oil, salt and pepper, vegetable stock and a bag of wholesome brilliance (aka Village Harvest Whole Grain Creations!)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice acorn squashes in half, and scrape out seeds and strings. Place face down in large casserole or roasting pan and fill with 1/2 inch of vegetable stock, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, reserve any remaining stock, and place face side up in pan. Fill each cavity with about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the Village Harvest Whole Grain Creations. Drizzle with olive oil and any remaining stock, and cover tightly with foil. Bake until squashes are cooked and slightly soft to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.

Walla! You have a gluten-free, dairy-free high-fiber vegan meal or side dish with hardly any prep time! You’ll seriously feel like a rockstar after making these.

You’re welcome,

Rachel