Smoothie Prep Saturday!

I made 8 smoothie packs for around $2.75 each! Not pictured is the spinach , almond milk, and protein powder. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 Cup spinach
• 1 cup frozen fruit
• 1/2 banana 
• 1 scoop vegan protein powder

Blend in a high power blender and enjoy!

Asian Garlic Baked Tofu

I love most forms of tofu, but my absolute favorite is this baked tofu. It's crispy without frying, and is easy to do.


Asian Garlic Baked Tofu

Ingredients:

• 1 package extra firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• Pinch of powdered ginger

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven 400 degrees
2. Open Tofu package and drain. Then set on paper towel or clean kitchen towl and press the block of Tofu into the towel to soak up extra liquid.
3. Mix all ingredients in medium size bowl, except for the Tofu.
4. Slice the Tofu into small squares and add to the sauce 
5. Let sit for 10-15 minutes
6. Coat a medium sized baking sheet with a thin layer of olive oil ( I drizzled the oil on the pan and spread it thinly with a paper towel)
7. Put the Todu squares evenly on the pan and bake for 15 minutes
8. Flip the Tofu pieces and bake another 10 minutes

Vegan Oven Pancakes

Ingredients: 

2 Tablespoons chia seeds soaked in 6 Tablespoons of water

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup almond milk 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon flaxseed

1 apple chopped

1/2 cup blueberries

Directions: 

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with non stick cooking spray.

2) Mix chia seeds, flour, almond milk, salt, cinnamon, apple, and blueberries in medium bowl. 

3) Bake 25-30 minutes. Let sit in pie plate for 5 minutes and serve with maple syrup ir honey.

Letting the chia seeds soak in water and mixing in with the other ingedients helps the batter bind together. Chia seeds tske the place of eggs!

Hummus Lasagna

Being part Italian my family eats pasta multiple times a week. Here I've tweeked the family recipe to fit my vegan needs. It's super easy and super delicious!


Ingredients:

• Vegan lasagna noodles, preferably the kind you don't have to boul first
• A jar of your favorite pasta sauce, I like classico
• Half a container of diced mushrooms 
• 1 cup spinach, raw or frozen does the trick
• 1 container garlic hummus 
• 1 Teaspoon onion powder
• Salt & pepper to tast

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Coat a 8.5 by 4.5 bread pan with oil

Mix hummus, spices, spinach, and mushrooms together in a bowl. Coat the bottom of your pan with pasta sauce and put 2 noodles on the bottom of pan (I had to break the end off the end of my  noodles to make them fit.) Then spoon an even layer on the hummus mixture on top of the noodles. once layer is evenly distributed pour a thin layer of sauce over top of the hummus mixture. Put another layer of noodles on top of first layer and follow the same process. When you have reached your desired amount of layers pour sauce over top of lasagna. Put foil over pan and bake for 35 minutes. Upon taking out of oven remove foil and let sit for 5 minutes. Then enjoy!

Salad Dressing Substitute

Salad Dressing Substitute

Salad season is here! Salads are so easy to make, it basically is just adding your favorite veggies to spinach or the lettuce of your liking. There is one thing about salads that drives me insane...salad dressing! A lot of the dressings found in the grocery store are filled with nasty preservatives and mystery ingredients. A great alternative is salsa! Its natural and great for you. Whether you make it yourself or buy it off the shelf salsa makes any salad more zesty and tasty! 

Vegan Quinoa Surprise

This simple dinner is full of protein, iron, and plenty of flavor! 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup quinoa 

1 low sodium 8 oz can v-8 juice

1/2 cup water

1 cup spinach

1/4 cup broccoli shreds 

1/4 cup shredded carrots 

1 small red onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp Tumeric

1 tsp Cumin

Directions: 

Combine quinoa, v-8 juice, and water in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a vigorous boil, then lower heat to simmer, covered, until quinoa is still tender, white spiral-like threads appear around each grain.

Saute onion, garlic, tumeric, and cumin. Add to quinoa along with carrots, broccli shreds, and spinach. Cover sauce pan to let spinach wilt. Serve in bowl with bread.

Serves 2

 

Vegan Easter

Happy Easter everyone! I hope your day is filled with many blessings! I will be enjoying baked sweet potatoes, spinach salad, and baked carrots at todays feast. But what would any holiday be eithout dessert?! So vegan chocolate chip cookies will also grace the table. Many often ask if I enjoy the holiday treats or am stick with a salad. The truth of the matter is that I find new favorites and treats to enjoy just like everyone. Animal product free doesn't mean taste free. God bless you and yours on this day! 

Super Easy Soup

One of my favorite things to do with left over's is to make a big pot of soup. This is an incredibly easy recipe that can be tweeked to your liking. 

Ingrediants:

1 box low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbs parsley

1 small can low sodium v8 vegetable juice 

1 bag frozen mixed vegatables

1/2 cup pearl barley

Salt to taste

Directions: 

Saute chopped red onion in a large sauce pan until tender. Add minced garlic , parsley, frozen vegetable mix, box of vegetable broth, can if v8 juice, and pearl barley. Feel free to add any left over vegatables that may be lying around in the fridge. 

Bring soup to a boil, then set to simmer for an hour. 

Oatmeal Pear Muffin

These muffins are sweet and filling, the perfect start to your day! 

Ingredients: 

1 whole pear chopped

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chia seeds

3/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup cooking oil

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take 1 tablespoon chia seeds and soak in 1/3 cup water for 15 minutes and set aside. Use non stick cooking spray on regular size cupcake pan. 

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon,  baking powder, salt milk, cooking oil, and pear into mixing bowl. Gently fold mixture together and disperse evenly into cupcake pan. 

Bake for 18 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on muffin rack. 

One Pan Pasta Perfection

Most of my cooking is done on the weekend. I work an 8am-5pm job and honestly am too drained when I get home to even begin to think about what to make for dinner. Usually on Sunday's I will make a big pan of something, or a pot of soup and eat the leftovers throughout the week. When i don't feel like leftovers my go to dinner is this one pan spicy pasta. The original recipe by fellow blogger Baker By Nature is not vegan, so I did what any resourceful vegan would do...I substituted the bejeezes out of it! So here it is, a quick and easy one pan spicy pasta that even the most drained person can make after a long days work! It can also be frozen in individual serving size to be thawed and heated at a later date.


One Pan Spicy Pasta

Serves: 4       Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a box of your favorite pasta
• 1 Can crushed tomatoes with chili peppers
• 2 Tablespoons Franks Red Hot Sauce
• 4 Cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 Red bell pepper
• 1/2 Yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 Orange bell pepper
• 1 Cup Raw spinach
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon Tumeric
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground oregano
• Pepper to taste
• 2 Cups low sodium vegetable juice (can substitute for water, or veggie stock)
• 1/4 Cup water

Directions:

1.  In a LARGE saucepan saute the peppers and garlic for 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except the pasta and bring to a boil.
3. Once the mixture is boiling add the pasta and continuously stir until pasta is cooked, and the sauce is nearly evaporated. (mine took about 10 minutes.) It may seem like a lot of liquid but the pasta will soak up the majority of it.

This dish is creamy without the use of any dairy!

Tofu-Tastic Stir Fry

    I was never a big fan of tofu until recently. It seemed very intimidating, I mean there's silken, firm, extra firm!? Not until reading a great article on the logistics of tofu did I begin to appreciate the benefits and  all the different foods that can be made with it! There are literally hundreds of recipes from desserts or dinners that use the different types of tofu. Yesterday I made a stir fry using extra firm tofu that was AMAZING! The original recipe is from a great group of friends who wanted to make sure I was able to eat at a dinner get together. Below you will see how I made this simple dish. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have!

Tofu Stir Fry

   Time: 45 minutes    Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• Extra Firm Tofu
• 2 Bell Peppers Diced (any type that you like)
• 1 Cup Frozen Broccoli
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 1 cup cooked rice (I followed the directions on the package for cooking and substituted 1 cup of water for 1 cup v8 veggie juice)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric 
• Soy Sauce (to taste)

Directions:

• Start by cooking the rice on your stove-top or rice cooker (the rice will take longer to cook so it's better to start it while your getting ready to saute the onion)
• Open packacge of extra firm tofu draining the water (yes the tofu is in water) and dice into bite size cubes.
• In a LARGE non-stick pan drizzle olive oil and saute the onion and garlic together for 5 minutes
• Drain tofu again and throw cubes into pan and let them cook in the mixture for 2-3 minutes
• Put bell peppers in pan to saute for 2-4 minutes then add the frozen broccoli 
• Add cumin, tumeric, and soy sauce to saute mixture
• Combine cooked rice in sauce pan with the stir fry
• Add a little bit more soy sauce to finished product.
• Stir and serve!

Garlic Spinach Pasta

With cold and flu season here getting extra vitamins and antioxidants is a must and this recipe has you covered! It's creamy with a boost of garlic that can help combat illness and vampires alike ;)

Garlic Spinach Pasta

Ingredients:

• 10 Ounces of Whole Wheat Pasta
• 1Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Minced Garlic
• 1 Cup Spinach
• 2 Cups Vegetable Stock
• 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

Directions 

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta for 7-10 minutes.
2. Coat a saucepan with the olive oil and sauté the garlic and spices until fragrant, add a 1/2 cup of the vegetable stock, then add the flour and stir vigorously on high heat to create the thickness.
3. Once the flour is not clumpy add in the rest of the vegetable stock and whilt in the spinach.
4. Once the spinach is wilted add the rest of the vegetable stock. 
5. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well.

Eggless Broccoli Quiche

This recipe has changed my life! Well not in an exponential way but it's definitely a delicious addition to my recipe book! I adapted the original recipe to my needs, I am not the original writer.



Eggless Broccli Quiche

Ingredients 

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2.5 Cups Chickpea Flour
• 3 Cups Water
• 1 Cup Cooked Chopped Broccoli 
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1-2 Cloves Garlic
• 1Teaspoon Parsley 
• 1 Teaspoon Basil
• 1Teaspoon Oregano 
• 1Teaspoon Onion Powder

Directions

• Pre-Heat oven 450 degrees
• In a large bowl whisk all of the ingredients excrot for the broccli
• GREASE A MIFFIN TIN VERY WELL!
• Fill the muffin tin a little over half full
• Bake in oven for 15 minutes
• Crack the oven door to let out steam and bake for an additional 12 or so minutes
• Let cool for about 10 minutes before taking out of muffin tin and setting on a wire rack.

Black Bean Avocado Brownie

I know what you're thinking, that a black bean avocado brownie sound like a terrible dessert option. You couldn't be more wring! These brownies are rich, soft, and nutritional without tasting like a bean, just try it out and you'll see!




Black Bean Avocado Brownie

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon flaxmeal mixed with 3 Tablespoons water
• 1 Can black beans drained
• 1/2 Avocado
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 Teaspoon applesauce 
• 1/2 Cup brown sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 Cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 Cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1/4 Cup coconut shreds

Directions:

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees
Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips and coconut in a blender and blend until smooth.
Fold in chocolate chips to blended batter.
Fill cupcake tin 1/3 of the way full and speinkle the coconut shavings on top.
Cook between 20-30 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy!

Pumpkin Craisin Muffin

 These muffins are high in protein and make a filling breakfast or snack!

Oven Temperature: 400 Degrees
Cook Time: 18-20 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 Cup Oats
• 1/4 Cup Vegan Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon 
• 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Flax Meal
• 1/4 Cup Oil
• 1/4 Cup Applesauce
• 1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 Cup Almond Milk (any vegan milk will work)
• 1/4 Cup Craisin's
• A Handful of Pumpkin Seeds to put on top of muffins.

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then mix together.
3. I like to line my muffin tins with liners but I have used coconut oil as a greasing agent on the pan when I don't have the liners handy.
4. After filling the muffin tin put it in the oven for 18-20 minutes
5. Upon removing from oven set muffins on cooling rack 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding

I love making this chocolate treat to enjoy for breakfast! Chia seeds give you a ton of energy and the peanut butter powder adds protein! 

Prep Tome: 10 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup Chia seeds (light or dark)

8 ounces chocolate almond milk (any non -dairy can be used)

1 Tbs powdered peanut butter

(Best If Made The Night Before)

Directions: Mix chia seeds, almond milk, and powdered peanut butter on a small bowl. Put mixture in refrigerator for a couple of hours (or overnight). Serve pudding with side of strawberries or even unsalted peanuts for an extra savory flavor!

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

I love breakfast food whether it's served morning or night. This is a scrumptious recipe that I tweaked to make vegan friendly. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do!

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

(original recipe from So, How's It Taste?, from The Curvy Carrot, from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson, via Annie's Eats) 

6 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1/4 chopped nuts, divided

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/4 maple syrup 

1 cup almond milk

2 Tablespoon vegan unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 sliced ripe bananas

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided

1. Preheat to 375. Lightly grease a 9x9 pan. Line the bottom of the pan with sliced bananas, topped with half of the blueberries.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a liquid measuring cup.

3. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the fruit in an even layer. Pour wet ingredients evenly over top. Sprinkle with remaining nuts and berries.

4. Bake for 35-40 or until the top is browned and oats have set. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Vegan Restaurant Eating

   Upon arriving at the checkout counter in my local pharmacy picking up my Epipen prescription the pharmacist asked me what my allergies were. She confided in me that she found out her daughter has basically the same food allergies as me. She asked, "is it hard to eat out at restaurants as a vegan?"

   My response definitely surprised her, "not really. I look up the restaurant menu online and decide what I can eat before arriving at the restaurant." To be a vegan and eat out with your meat eating friends can be a challenge. For me when all else fails I can order a salad. Most restaurants are more accommodating these day though. 

   On more than one occasion I have called a restaurant ahead of time and asked about ingredients in their food items and how they can make it vegan friendly. For the most part these restaurants are extremely accommodating! I mean they want your business and your money so why wouldn't they try their hardest to get you to eat at their establishment!?

   In short, don't be afraid to eat out! Do your research, call who you have to, and enjoy yourself!

Soups On!

One of my favorite things to do with left over's is to make a big pot of soup. This is an incredibly easy recipe that can be tweeked to your liking.

Ingredients:

1 box low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbs parsley

1 small can low sodium v8 vegetable juice 

1 bag frozen mixed vegatables

1/2 cup pearl barley

Salt to taste

Directions:

Saute chopped red onion in a large sauce pan until tender. Add minced garlic , parsley, frozen vegetable mix, box of vegetable broth, can if v8 juice, and pearl barley. Feel free to add any left over vegatables that may be lying around in the fridge. 

Bring soup to a boil, then set to simmer for an hour. 

Easy Peanut Sauce

With all my food allergies it's hard to believe that nuts are not one of them. This sauce is great in a vegetable stir fry, grains, or pasta!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup natural creamy peanut  butter
2 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves minced
1/8 teaspoon grated ginger
1/3 cup warm water

Directions:

Mince garlic and grate ginger. Place all ingredients into a small bowl. Whisk until blended. Serve over warm noodles, rice, or steamed veggies!

Calories: 64.4
Fat: 5.0g
Carbohydrates: 2.5g
Protein 3.0g

Vanilla Maple Muffin Madness

This recipe is so good it tastes like it should be unhealthy, but it's not! I usually make a batch of muffins on Sunday's as my go to breakfast through the work week. I found the original recipe on Pinterest but tweeted it to fit my plant based needs. I hope you thoroughly enjoys this recipe as much as I have!

Ingredients:

 1 Tablespoon Ground Flax Meal

 1/4 cup applesauce 

 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or any type of gluten free baking flour)

 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

 2/3 cup natural maple syrup 

 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

 1/4 cup melted vegan butter (I use earth balance)

 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin with coconut oil or cooking spray. Combine flax meal and applesauce in a small dish. In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients.

Gently mix the wet ingredients (including the flax applesauce mixture) with the dry ingredients. 

Spoon mixture into muffin tin (should make enough for 12 standard size muffins) and set on middle rack in the oven. 

Bake for 8-11 minutes. They are done when you poke a toothpick in the middle of a muffin and the toothpick comes out clean.

Protein Posse

The biggest question I'm faced with when anyone finds out I don't eat dairy or meat is, where do you get your protein? Most people might think, "tofu must be the only thing you eat!" False. In actuality I rarely eat tofu, though it does pair well in stir fry's!
    First let's figure out what protein is and why we need it. Not to go all Bill Nye the science guy  but basically protein is made up of large molecules consisting of amino acids that our bodies need to function properly. Meat and dairy are not the only sources of protein although they are probably the most well known.
   Just 1 cup of cooked lentils (sort of like beans) contains 18 grams of protein! Lentils are great in tacos, soups, and stews. Another great protein option is something that has become popular, a little thing called Quinoa! It is a complete protein and exceptionally delicious as oatmeal in the morning, on salads at lunch, or in stuffed peppers for dinner.

   Other great plant base protein options:

• Almonds; 1/4 cup = 7.5 grams
• Peanut Butter; 2 Tbsp = 7 grams
• Oats; 1 cup = 7 grams
• Brown Rice 1 cup = 9 grams
• Chickpeas; 1 cup = 15 grams
• Tofu; 1 cup = 20 grams
• Sunflower Seeds; 1/4 cup = 7 grams
• Spinach; 1 cup = 5 grams
• Lentils; 1 cup = 17 grams

Just to name a few of course! So in short I have no problem finding protein to eat on a daily basis, truthfully I eat more protein s a vegan then I ever did with meat or dairy!