chunky vegan chili

here it is. my favorite chili. yes, buying the bulgur is worth it. recipe from epicurious with a bit of changes. make this recipe with some homemade mac-n-cheese-with-broccoli !

ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 cup shredded carrots
jalapeno minced (optional)
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup bulgur
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans
2 cans black beans
salt and pepper to taste
few pinches of cayenne (optional, to your liking)
pinch of thyme
1 1/2 cups water
parsley chopped as garnish

how to:

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and jalapeño and sauté, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the bulgur, add the spices (chili powder, cumin, cayenne, thyme) and stir until well combined.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beans. Add in the water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Season with salt to taste. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley, if desired.

quiona with tofu and veggies

i'm slowly starting to enjoy eating more foods raw and not only is it healthier but saves time too : P

here is a simple meal I enjoy especially when pinched on time. great if you have left over quinoa or any other grain! 

ingredients:

• quinoa precooked
• spices- red pepper flakes, black pepper
• small onion
• olive oil
• veggies you have/like- carrots, broccoli, bell peppers
• spinach or kale
• tofu - cut into squares

how to:

1. cook your grain, add salt to the water for more flavor
2. in a skillet heat olive oil & cook onions until translucent
3. add your veggies- carrots, broccoli, bell pepper etc cook until soft
4. add spices you like to your taste
5. optional to cook your tofu in separate pan with olive oil (i'm now used to just adding it in raw to my bowl at the end)
6. once your veggies are soft add your spinach to the skillet for few minutes until it wilts  OR again optional to just put it it in raw as i have. 
7. in a bowl add your desired amount of quinoa, add your veggies, add your tofu and check spice/taste level to your liking!

quinoa vegetable and fruit medley

my new favorite meal for lunch is a giant bowl of rainbow goodness. you can use any grain that has a high amount of protein and fiber such as bulgur  or quiona, farro, amaranth, couscous etc. I also find it tastes better eating everything mixed together. 

ENJOY, your body will thank you.

ingredients:

• precooked grain- quiona etc
• spices- salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sriracha if you like!
• your favorite green such as spinach or kale- chopped
• raw veggies chopped - anything you like / have at hand
• fruit is great too!

how to:

1. cook your grain, add a little salt for more flavor if you like
2. chop your favorite green well and mix into your bowl with the cooked grain
3. pile your bowl with raw veggies and fruit you like
4. add your spices
5. check flavor, top with sriracha etc if you like
6. enjoy! sharing is optional ; )

oatmeal banana pecan berry pancakes

I loveee oatmeal and today I decided to see if I could successfully make pancakes using oats instead of flour. I also had a super ripe banana I wanted to use so pancakes it was! These turned out wonderful and most importantly they were actually a healthy version of pancakes, cuz lets be real...pancakes are a great comfort food but they're not exactly "healthy" especially if you just use white flour.

ingredients:

dry

2 cups whole oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup pecans (or walnuts)

wet

1 1/4 cup almond milk

1 ripe banana mushed

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup berries (optional of course and fresh or frozen works)

how to:

1. combine all the dry ingredients in your food processor/blender or the like for few seconds. you want it to be more coarse than super fine. place mixture into big bowl
2. in a smaller bowl combine all your wet ingredients
3. slowly add the wet ingredients to your dry "flour" mixture and stir until just combined
4. make sure your pan is heated well before adding batter, I also use coconut oil spray on my pan.
5. for thinner pancakes use more almond milk, especially towards the end when your batter has been sitting it gets thicker.
6. top with whatever you like! - more cinnamon, pecans, fresh fruit, maple syrup, coconut flakes etc

homemade mac 'n' cheese with broccoli

here is thee only vegan mac 'n' cheese recipe i use and it is from Chef Chloe ! the only tweaks i personally make is using less milk so 2 cups instead of 3 cups. my sauce never turns out so thick that i need three cups of milk, two cups is plenty of liquid. i also only use 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 is too much for me and not needed.

right now the only picture i have is the mac mixed in with my chili recipe and it's super delicious that you almost must make the two together. wayy better than either of them apart : )

ingredients:

• 1 pound elbow macaroni (any kind you like is fine)
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine (earth balance)
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour (gluten free is good too)
• 2 cups vegan milk (soy, almond or rice)
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of agave or maple syrup (maple preferred)

how to:

1. bring large pot of salted water to a boil. add macaroni and cook to package directions 
2. add broccoli to the last five minutes of boiling, cook until fork tender. drain and return to pot
3. to make the sauce: in medium saucepan make a paste by whisking the margarine and flour over medium heat for 3-5 minutes
4. add milk, yeast, tomato paste, salt and garlic powder to the saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently
5. reduce heat to low and let simmer until sauce thickens 
6. adjust seasoning to your liking and add in the agave and lemon juice
7. toss the macaroni and broccoli with the sauce and immediately serve

vegetable medley lasagna

The other day I tried a lasagna recipe from my new book called The Plant-Powered Diet by Sharon Palmer and it's absolutely perfect. Exactly what I was looking for in a vegan lasagna. I only made a vegan lasagna recipe one time when I first started being vegan and it was so complicated and it didn't turn out exactly as i'd hope so I completely shied away from all lasagna recipes since then. But this one seemed so simple and included easy step by step instructions. So whether you are an omnivore, vegetarian or vegan you may enjoy this thick, vegetable- rich lasagna. We enjoyed our lasagna with home grown green onions and lettuce, nothing better than that!

*best made in a small, deep baking dish about 7x10 inches

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium summer squash (about 8 inches long) such as a zucchini, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
• 2 garlic gloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsps dried)
• 1 teaspoon low sodium herbal seasoning
• 4 ounces (6 sheets) whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked
• one 24- ounce jar reduced- sodium marinara sauce
• 2 cups packed chopped kale
• 1 1/2 cups shredded plant-based cheese (such as Daiya)

how to

• heat the olive oil in a large skillet. add the onions, bell pepper, summer squash, broccoli, garlic, black pepper oregano, and herbal seasoning. saute for about 7 minutes.
• preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• pour 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce into a deep rectangular baking dish (about 7/10 inches) and spread it evenly over the bottom of the dish
• place 3 lasagna noodles side by side on top of the sauce. in even layers, add about half of the vegetable mixture, then 1 cup kale, half of the remaining marinara sauce, and 3/4 cup plant-based cheese.
• place the remaining 3 noodles on top and repeat the layers with remaining ingredients.
• cover the baking dish with lid or foil and bake for 1 hour. remove the cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the dish is golden and bubbly.
• cut the lasagna into six servings and serve immediately.

your guide to the daily green smoothie

i'm starting my comeback to this lovely blog of mine with a post on my brand spankin new habit!

what is it?? daily greeeeen smoothie!

i was inspired by kimberly snyder's glowing green smoothie and completely sold on the idea of substituting my breakfast for a big ol' jar of green juice to start my morning right. 

there are many reasons a green smoothie is an excellent way to start your morning and mainly it is a wonderful daily detox ritual. not to mention it is great for those looking to lose weight, increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables (particularly the greens), easily digestible, gives you an energy boost, full of antioxidants, increased fiber, benefits your skin, and it's full of alkaline foods that will help your body from becoming too acidic. 

another great part of the green smoothie is experimenting with different combinations of ingredients. below i have created an extensive list of possible vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices that work well for a green smoothie (i poured over manyyy green smoothie recipes) and i keep this list on the fridge for easy reference.

ingredients:

greens                  veggies                           

+ choose 2-3                 + choose 1-2                         

-romaine lettuce             -cucumber                                           

-spinach                              -celery                                        

-kale                                   - ginger                                               

-swiss chard                                                               

-arugula                                                                      

 fruit                fruit+  

+ choose 1-2                    + choose 1
-pear                                    -lemon
-banana                               -lime
-apple                                 -avocado
-mango
-pineapple

    

herbs                    spices
+ choose 1                         + choose 1-2

-parsley                               -cinnamon
-cilantro                               -nutmeg

-mint                                    -cayenne

                                               -turmeric

how to:

1. select and prepare your ingredients

2. put your ingredients into blender (I currently use a nutribullet but the almighty vitamix is on my wish list!)

3. add water and blend until smooth

4. you can always add more water into your drink after if it is too concentrated

5. recommended amount: drink about 16 ounces for breakfast and work your way up to 24 ounces 

6. green smoothies store for about 2 and a half days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator