Veggie Beef Stew

Veggie Beef Stew - Super satisfying soup that is cozy-comfy when you are short on time. You can use either an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and whole 30 friendly. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a fire kindling in the background, snuggled with your dog on the couch with a heavy blanket and warm bowl of stew in hand? Goals, right? 

Well, I can’t promise the fire or the dog but what I can promise you is a super easy but satisfying bowl of veggie beef stew. If anything, as you prepare all the ingredients and throw it into an Instant Pot or slow cooker, you can chop up some wood and steal your neighbors dog if you want to get the full ambiance! Haha

Just like the ultimate fall scene, so is this recipe because while it may look rich and hearty (and it is) it’s actually super cheap to make! 

Beef stew meat is usually the cheaper meat and the rest of the ingredients are fresh or frozen produce so another win! With that said, this recipe is perfect for that week day meal or when you are too tired to make something while costing you pennies to make.

And if you really want to level up the comfort, serve with fresh sourdough bread or gluten-free skillet cornbread. 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Veggie Beef Stew - Super satisfying soup that is cozy-comfy when you are short on time. You can use either an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and whole 30 friendly. 

Prep: 15 min Cook: 30 min Serving: 6

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs beef stew meat (or beef chuck roast cut into chunks)

• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

• 3 stalks of celery, sliced

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 lb small potatoes, cubed

• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

• 1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)

• 1 can (14 oz) fire roasted tomatoes (with liquid)

• 4 cups beef bone broth

• 2 tsp salt, pepper

• 1 tsp thyme

• 1 tsp italian seasoning

• 1 bay leaf

• Cooking fat of choice

Directions

1. Select “saute” on the Instant Pot and add 1 tbsp cooking oil (ie grass fed butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil). Season meat with salt and pepper and add it to the Instant Pot - searing all sides of  meat until it’s brown.

2. Cancel the “saute” setting and add the rest of the ingredients minus frozen peas and green beans to the pot and stir until combined. 

3. Turn the setting to “pressure cook” or “stew” and set for 30 minutes or “high pressure” for 20 minutes. Once it’s done, allow 10 minutes for natural release before flipping to “venting” position to release any remaining pressure.

4. Press “cancel” then select the “saute” setting and add peas and green beans and cook for about 5-7 minutes. 

5. Take bay leaf out, season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh thyme. 

Notes

1. Don’t have an Instant Pot but have a slow cooker? You can still make this recipe! Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and set on low for 6-8 hours. Add the frozen green beans and peas 30 minutes before serving. Add more broth if needed.

Chicken Sausage and Harvest Veggies Sheet Pan

Chicken Sausage + Harvest Veggies Sheet Pan - All the fall feels on one sheet pan. This healthy fall inspired sheet pan recipe includes a sweet maple tahini dressing. Meal-prep, make-ahead, and weeknight friendly. 

Sheet Pans - Without a doubt, the easiest thing to prepare if you fall into the categories of: busy, tired, and bored. Simple as that. All you have to do is cut (or use pre-cut/frozen) your veggies, slice sausage links, and place in the oven until ready to eat. While your meal is cooking, prepare a simple 3 ingredient dressing and that is it! 

To save even more time, you can prepare the veggies and dressing the day before so when you are ready to heat up the oven, simply spread the veggies and protein on the sheet pan and let it cook. Come on people, I am just spoon feeding how easy this meal is to you! Haha

By using seasonal veggies, you don’t necessarily have to worry about flavor as much as seasonal produce are at its peak! 

Meaning, less seasonings = less fuss. For this recipe, I season with little salt (because of the sausage) and use a simple everyday seasoning blend when seasoning the veggies. 

To help round this meal out by incorporating healthy fats, I created a sweet and simple maple tahini dressing that pairs perfectly with the dish! 

So either add this to your lunch meal prep rotation, weeknight dinner option, or keep it in your back pocket when you need to make something last minute - I promise you, you won’t regret it!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Chicken Sausage + Harvest Veggies Sheet Pan - All the fall feels on one sheet pan. This healthy fall inspired sheet pan recipe includes a sweet maple tahini dressing. Meal-prep, make-ahead, and weeknight friendly. 

Ingredients

• 1 red apple, cored and cubed

• 12 oz (1 package) chicken sausage, sliced

• 2-3 medium to large beets, cubed

• ½ red onion, diced into chunks

• 2 large sweet potatoes or 1 small butternut squash, cubed

• 1 head broccoli (or frozen), chopped

• ¼ cup raw pepitas

• Fav seasonings + S|P

Maple Tahini Dressing

• 2 Tbsp Tahini

• 1 tsp pure maple syrup 

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• S+P

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or generously coat with avocado/coconut oil spray

2. Add sweet potatoes to the sheet pan and toss to coat with oil spray. 

3. Roast for 15 minutes. While sweet potatoes are roasting, prep other veggies/protein. 

4. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and add the rest of the sheet pan ingredients. Sprinkle seasonings over ingredients, toss to coat, and spread ingredients out in a single layer. 

5. Return to the oven and continue to roast until the veggies are tender, about 25 minutes longer. 

6. While roasting, prepare dressing by simply mixing all ingredients in a small bowl until combined. May need to add 1 Tbsp increments of water to thin dressing until desired consistency. 

7. You can sprinkle pepitas over roasted veggies/protein and return to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes or sprinkle pepitas after final cooking. Serve with dressing and enjoy! 

Grilled Peach and Steak Salad

Grilled Peach and Steak Salad - A fresh and flavorful salad using less than 10 ingredients and that includes a peach vinaigrette that can’t be beat! (gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo friendly)

Yes, I did in fact, get my peaches from Georgia. Tifton, GA to be exact! As I was driving home from Florida last week, I stopped by the cutest store: The Market at Rutland Farms and picked up a bag of fresh peaches along with assorted fruit preserves to bring back to family. So if you are around the area, you should most definitely stop by! 

Peaches are the perfect sweet addition to any summer salad. But let’s not stop there. Let’s crank up the grill and put some nice grill marks on those bad boys. 

Did you say steak? Yeah, let’s throw some steaks on the grill as well! 

With grilled peaches and steak in hand, the possibilities are endless now! Having steak as your main protein source, you could make a peach chutney to go over the steak and have a side of seasonal veggies and a starchy carb like potatoes or rice. 

Or....

You could make this super easy and just toss a salad together! 

Using less than 10 ingredients and made in under 20 minutes, you have a light but substantial fresh grilled salad with a dressing that can’t be beat! 

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A post shared by Candace Dorsey| From the Roots (@fromtherootsblog)

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with.

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Grilled Peach and Steak Salad - A fresh and flavorful salad using less than 10 ingredients and that includes a peach vinaigrette that can’t be beat! (gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo friendly)

Ingredients

• 1 lb grass-fed flank steak

• 1-3 fresh peaches

• 2 handfuls fresh arugula

• 2 handfuls fresh spinach

• 1/2 cup fresh strawberries (sliced)

• ½ avocado (sliced)

• ½ red onion (thinly sliced)

• ¼ cup crumbled feta, goat, dairy-free feta, or blue cheese

• ¼ cup chopped raw almonds

• Steak seasoning of choice (I prefer the classic salt & pepper)

Peach vinaigrette 

• 1 grilled peach halve 

• ¼ cup avocado oil

• 1 Tbsp coconut aminos or balsamic vinaigrette 

• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

• Salt and pepper 

Directions

1. Prepare the flank steaks by seasoning of choice. I prefer a generous seasoning of salt and pepper! 

2. Get the grill ready by setting temperature to medium-high and coating grates with a little bit of cooking spray. 

3. Remove the steaks from the fridge and let sit for 10 minutes. While you are waiting on your steaks, prepare the peaches by cutting them in half, removing the pits, and spraying both sides with nonstick spray. 

4. Cook the flank steaks for about 5-7 minutes on each side until you have reached the desired “pinkness.” Cook the peaches on the grill for about the same time or until the peaches have nice grill markings.

5. Transfer the flank steak to a cutting board and let rest for about 10 minutes covered using aluminum foil. While your steak is resting and peaches are cooling, prepare the dressing.

6. To a food processor, add in the grilled peach half, oil, aminos, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste test before removing dressing from processor (i.e. want more peach flavor? Add another peach half! Need more salt? Add in more coconut aminos or salt)

7. Now, it's time to build your salad! To a serving platter, layer with both greens, sliced grilled peaches, sliced grilled flank steak, avocado, red onion, almonds, cheese, strawberries and drizzle with peach vinaigrette. 

Notes

• Red onions are not pictured in the blog pictures or IG reels but it’s strongly recommended for this salad! 

• makes 4 servings

• If you cannot find flank steak - skirt or sirloin cuts are a great alternative as these cuts are not as fatty and will pair nicely with this fresh and summery salad.

Tzatziki Dogs

Tzatziki Dogs - Hot diggity dog, we are going greek! Made with homemade gluten-free pita bread, fresh cucumber tomato salad, and a dairy-free friendly tzatziki sauce.

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Applegate. All opinions are my own. 

What better way to embrace the first week of summer than by cranking up the grill!? Amiright!?Hopefully these tzatziki dogs will inspire you to do the same! Made with homemade gluten free pita bread, fresh cucumber tomato salad, and a dairy free friendly tzatziki sauce. And who can forget tha MEATS. Applegate hot dogs have: 

X: chemical nitrates or nitrites

X: artificial ingredients or preservatives

X: GMO ingredients

√: FTR approved food products! 

So if you want to stock up on 100% natural summer grilling favorites like their hotdogs, sausages, and hamburgers, check them out here and receive a free coupon! 

Once your fridge/freezer is stocked with all the goods, jump down for the recipe to make these super delicious Tzatziki Dogs! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Tzatziki Dogs - Hot diggity dog, we are going greek! Made with homemade gluten-free pita bread, fresh cucumber tomato salad, and a dairy-free friendly tzatziki sauce.

Ingredients 

Cucumber Tomato Salad

• ½ english cucumber (sliced)

• 2 tomatoes (diced)

• 1-2 garlic clove (minced)

• ¼ red onion (thinly sliced)

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• Salt + pepper 

Tzatziki Sauce

• ½ large english cucumber (grated)

• ½ cup dairy-free plain yogurt

• 1-3 garlic cloves (pressed)

• 1-2 Tbsp fresh or dried dill

• Zest and juice of half lemon

• Salt + Pepper 

Gluten-free Pita Bread

• 1 cup GF 1:1 baking flour

• ⅔ cup dairy-free plain yogurt

• 2 Tbsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• grass-fed butter 

Hot Dogs

• 6-pack Applegate organic grass-fed hotdogs 

• Feta, goat cheese or dairy-free feta

• Mixed greens

• Fresh parsley 

Directions

1. To make the tzatziki sauce: 

   1. Tzatziki sauce needs time to develop flavor so start making the sauce first. Grate half english cucumber and add the grated cucumber to a mesh strainer over a bowl. Sprinkle 1 tsp salt and mix to combine. Use your hands to squeeze the salted cucumber in the mesh strainer; trying to get out as much liquid as possible. 

   2. Transfer the cucumber into a small bowl and add yogurt, garlic, dill, zest and juice of lemon and seasonings. Stir it all together and taste if you need to season more. 

   3. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving if you have time. 

2. To make the pita bread: 

   1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use the back of a spoon to stir and mash the yogurt into the flour; until clumps of dough forms. Transfer dough and leftover flour from the bowl onto a flat surface and knead with your hands until a smooth ball forms. Divide the dough into 6 balls (best to weigh each ball for accurate size). Roll each ball out on a floured surface. **A tortilla press is perfect for this if you have it! 

   2. In a medium pan or cast iron skillet, add a pad of butter or preferred oil on medium-high heat. Place the pita bread in the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining pita breads. 

   3. Feel free to sprinkle fresh parsley and garlic over the bread as it’s cooling! 

3. To make the cucumber tomato salad: 

   1. Simply combine all ingredients into a medium bowl and adjust seasonings based on preference (i.e. salt, pepper, vinegar) 

4. To make the hot dogs: 

   1. Grill or cook in a skillet based on package instructions. 

5. Assembly time! To a warm pita bread, layer with mixed greens, a dollop of tzatziki sauce, grilled hot dog, cucumber tomato salad, and garnish with fresh parsley, cheese crumbles, and yogurt drizzle. Enjoy! 

Notes 

• Products used for this recipe: Applegate hot dogs, lactose free plain yogurt, tortilla press, 

• Tips for making the dough: the dough may seem too dry, but I promise you, once you start kneading, the dough will start to form. BUT: if it’s too dry; knead a Tbsp of yogurt or too wet; knead a Tbsp of flour at a time. Also remember that the more time you fiddle with the dough, the harder it gets to work with because the baking powder and yogurt start to activate.

Spicy Thai Tofu with Crispy Coconut Spaghetti Squash Noodles

Spicy Thai Tofu with Crispy Coconut Spaghetti Squash Noodles - A plant based dish that is fun and flavorful! Great for dinner, #meatlessmonday, or for your lunch meal prep rotations.  

Believe it or not, I was a vegetarian for four years when I was a teenager! I know, I can’t believe it either! But when I was a vegetarian, tofu stir fry was my jam! It was something that could be made pretty fast, kept me satiated, and burst with amazing flavors. 

Within those years, I thought I was being healthy because I eliminated animal proteins from my diet. What I ended up doing was going into refined carb heaven eating all the desserts, pasta, bread, processed soy products, lots of Taco Bell... 

The imbalance lead to health issues like protein sores in my mouth, skin turning a gray color, lethargy, weight gain, brain fog, acne, the list goes on!

So knowing the route I took on my vegetarian journey, you can probably tell that my go-to tofu stir fry probably wasn’t healthy. Haha, and you guessed right! I used the ramen noodles from the cheap Maruchan noodle packets and half a bottle of soy sauce. I threw in a bag of frozen oriental stir fry veggie mix and cubed tofu and that made the entire dish seem healthy in my mind. 

And this is not to say that everyone who is a vegan/vegetarian is not healthy. Just like eating meat, being paleo, intuitive eating, counting macros, celery cleanse, etc, it’s all about having a diet rich in nutrient-dense, properly prepared, whole foods. That’s it. So wherever you are at in your journey with food, keep that in mind. And if you are just starting, here is a great post to help you in discovering what that looks like for you and your own personal journey. 

One thing I will make a note of about this dish is that we are using organic sprouted tofu as our main protein source. In order for this meal to be properly prepared, I use organic sprouted tofu as the source of my protein. The reason that I chose sprouted over regular tofu is that the health benefits far outweigh. The sprouting process improves digestion and increases nutrient absorption. It also contains more protein and higher levels of calcium than regular tofu. 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Spicy Thai Tofu with Crispy Coconut Spaghetti Squash Noodles - A plant based dish that is fun and flavorful! Great for dinner, #meatlessmonday, or for your lunch meal prep rotations.  

Ingredients

Coconut Noodles

• 1 medium spaghetti squash

• ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk

• ¼ cup toasted coconut flakes

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil

Marinade

• 14 oz organic sprouted extra firm tofu

• ¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk

• 1 Tbsp red curry paste

• 3 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger (minced)

• 1 Tbsp gluten-free low-sodium tamari sauce or liquid (coconut) aminos

• 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch

• 1 tsp fish sauce (*vegan fish sauce if vegan)

Peanut Sauce

• 2 Tbsp creamy organic peanut butter

• 1 Tbsp gluten-free low-sodium tamari sauce or liquid (coconut) aminos

• 1 Tbsp water

• 2 tsp chili garlic sauce

• 1 tsp fresh ginger (minced)

• ½ tsp coconut sugar

• ½ juice of a lime

Garnish

• ¼ cup unsalted peanuts, chopped cilantro, chili garlic sauce, lime wedges

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. 

2. To make the spaghetti squash, cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and lightly drizzle with oil and salt and pepper. Place squash face down on the baking sheet and roast for 35-45 minutes or until the squash peels easily away from the skin. Set aside to cool before dragging a fork across the squash to create noodles. 

3. To make the tofu, once you are done pressing the tofu to get the excess liquid out, cut into cubes and add to a Ziploc bag. In a small bowl, add all the marinade ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour mixture into a Ziploc bag and toss tofu to coat. Let sit for at least 15-30 minutes.

4. While the tofu is marinating, make the peanut sauce by adding all sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk vigorously until ingredients are well combined. Should be smooth and creamy yet pourable. 

5. Once the squash has cooled down and you have scraped out all the squash into noodles, transfer to a large skillet that is set on medium-high heat with about 1 Tbsp oil.

6. Saute in the oil for 5-10 minutes or until crispy. Add coconut milk to the noodles and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked off and you are left with crispy yet moist noodles. Take the skillet off the heat and garnish with toasted coconut flakes. Set aside.

7.  You can either bake the tofu in the oven or cook in the same skillet you just used for the spaghetti squash noodles. I like to cook the tofu in the skillet to give it a crispy texture.

8. Transfer noodle mixture into a large bowl and top with the tofu. Drizzle peanut sauce over the dish or put in a small serving dish to have on the side. Garnish with toppings and enjoy with chopsticks! 

Notes

• Ingredients that I use: canned organic unsweetened coconut milk, tamari, soy-free version - coconut aminos, sprouted organic tofu, fish sauce, organic peanut butter, vegan fish sauce, chili garlic sauce

• Meal Prep Version: divide noodle mixture and tofu into 4 containers and keep the peanut sauce/garnishes in a separate container so that you can pour over the mixture and garnish when ready to eat. 

• Feel free to add roasted veggies to the dish like peppers, onion, carrots, and zucchini or steamed veggies like snap peas and broccoli. 

• Plant-based protein alternatives: chickpeas, tempeh, beans or use chicken if you are wanting an animal based protein source.