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 ; )

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

vegetable and bean couscous

i generally don't time how long it takes me to cook a recipe but this one was super quick! definitely around 30 minutes for such a delicious meal. this is why i now love couscous! it takes no time at all to cook and is in fact one of the very last things added and right after you can turn off the heat and it will do it's magic. it basically just soaks up all the liquid and expands with the heat already created so you don't have to precook the couscous, it's done quite instantly just by letting it sit for few minutes after cooking.

the most time consuming part of this recipe is cutting and preparing all the vegetables which is what i do first. this is going to be added to my "quick weekly recipe". another great thing about this recipe is you can put just about any vegetable or bean in this dish and it will work. so it is great for leftover veggies you don't know what to do with.

i looked at some various couscous recipes to see what the basics are in making couscous and most of the vegetables they suggested to use i did not have. so here is a list of all the different veggies you can use in your dish:

++ zucchini, squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes & veggies i used: carrots, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprout, onion ++

*i never really estimated how much of the vegetables i used but in general use how much of whatever vegetable you want. you can't really go wrong. i like a lot of vegetables in every bite so i generally do more.

ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 large carrots chopped
• broccoli chopped
• cauliflower chopped
• brussels sprout
• 1 can black beans (or any other kind) rinsed well
• 2 cups couscous
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• paprika about 2 tablespoons
• lots of salt & pepper 
• vegeta* (typical serbian spice used, optional)

 

how to:

1. heat in your large skillet on medium heat the olive oil and onion for a minute
2. add in your tougher veggies: cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprout, carrots- cook the veggies for a few minutes so they get a little softer but definitely will still be firm.
3. pour in your vegetable stock and season your dish with paprika, salt and pepper. i used plenty of salt and vegeta. you can even use red pepper flakes for some spiciness. play with it to your taste and feel free to definitely try your broth after spicing it to see how it tastes!
4. turn up the heat and bring your dish to a boil- then once its bubbling turn the heat to low
5. add in your beans and spinach- mix it all together for minute (also this is where you would add tomatoes if you used them)
6. now slowly add your measured out couscous- stir in well, you should already start to see the couscous soak up  your vegetable broth
7. cover quickly and remove your dish from the heat
8. let it sit for five minutes so the couscous can finish soaking
9. enjoy it with added red pepper flakes and sliced avocados on the side!

rice and veggie dish

hello everyone, and happy menstruating day 1 to me!
i can't be too ungrateful since my cramped belly decided i needed a light and airy meal today which led to this masterpiece that everyone enjoyed thoroughly.

i love it when my whimsical creations that are mostly little bit of this and little bit of that thrown together actually end up not only edible freakin delicious! and so this recipe will be a little harder to write down...if you really want to try this recipe and need more precise measurements just comment and i will do it but yes, much of this was eye balled in.

oh and by the way i used days old rice that we had in the fridge so if you ever have left over rice definitely try and make this dish. good luck!

ingredients:

• old rice [i had about 2 1/2 cups at least after cooked]
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil for cooking
• 2 carrots chopped into smaller pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 inch of fresh ginger chopped
• 2 green onions chopped
• 1/2 cup packed kale chopped thinly [ i used two big hand fulls-the more the better!]
• 2 tablespoon organic tamari soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon earth butter (optional)
• splash of lime juice (optional)
• salt to taste

how to:

1.  in a large pan heat your coconut oil over medium heat and add in your ginger and garlic stirring it around for 2 minutes, it should be fragrant
2. add in the carrots and cook until they are soft
3. add in the old rice and stir it around to mix everything together then make a hole in the middle for the earth butter and combine with rice as it melts
4. now stir in the liquids, add in the soy sauce, vinegar and splash of lime juice, stir it around  for couple minutes so your rice is well cooked
5. do a taste test and add any salt needed
6. now stir in your chopped kale and turn the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid so the kale wilts but doesn't burn the rice
7. you're done when the flavor is right, veggies are soft and the ingredients are mixed well

* you can also substitute spinach for kale if you happen to not have it, and feel free to add more veggies or exclude things your don't have/ your own version of ingredients

+++

i had this rice side dish with giant portabella mushrooms which i fried as i made the rice.

ingredients:

• 2-4 portabella mushrooms depending on how many people eating
• 1 tablespoon earth butter [or coconut oil]
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil for drizzling 
• sesame seeds sprinkled as topping
• green onions sprinkled as topping

how to:

1. heat the butter in a pan
2. prepare the mushrooms by placing them on a plate after washing. first brush them with some olive oil both sides
3. sprinkle on the sat, pepper or any other seasonings you like on both sides (almost like meat)
4. place in pan and i turn then so cap is down, leave on for couple minutes until browned you can turn over to check, they will wilt and ooze out lots of juice
5. once done transfer them to a plate and sprinkled on some sesame seeds and green onions

^^momma picked some veggies from the garden : )

^^ i threw in some spiced garbanzo beans after the sweet potatoes, great finger food.

chocolate cake with raspberries

my sweet sister baked this cake the other day and it was so good i had it for breakfast two days in a row. this is very simple and very delicious. i'm considering making it today or tomorrow because once you try it you kind of want that chocolate goodness every.single.day.

main reason we all loved it was because it wasn't your typical sugar high dessert but you could actually taste the cocoa/chocolaty-ness of it instead. typically i like to reduce the sugar in most recipes but this one was perfect.

 if you've never made a vegan cake and love chocolate...give this one a go and top it with your favorite fruit!

 ingredients for cake:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar

how to:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and grease an 8x8 square pan
2. in a bowl mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking sodam and salt. mix it with a fork or whisk until blended well
3. in another bowl mix water, vanilla, oil, vinegar and add this to the dry ingredients bowl^^
4. pour into your pan and bake for 30 minutes and once done let it cool for about 2 hours

 +++

ingredients for glaze:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp margarine
• 2 tbsp soy milk
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

how to:

1.  in a small saucepan bring the sugar, margarine, milk and cocoa to a boil
2. stir frequently; reduce heat to simmer for 2 minutes and stir constantly (it will be bubbly)
3. remove from the heat and stir another 5 minutes
4. add the vanilla, stir and immediately pour onto the cake. glaze drys fast so spread it quickly!
5. add sprinkles or fruit etc and try your best to let this cool another hour before serving

i'll probably call this one my guilt-free-cake!
enjoy : )

tofu pot pie

this was divine. and yes, vegans can enjoy delicious pot pie too!
i found a recipe online but i ended up putting in much more so here is what
i did. mostly because i did not have two small pot pie pans but one big one
and made plenty for four people. also it is great as a leftover!

crust
3 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 stick vegan butter (earth balance)
1/2 teaspoon salt
 ice water

filling
8 ounces super or extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons olive oi divided
2 small yellow onion diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2-3 carrots diced
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 potatoes diced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup fresh/frozen peas
1 tsp (originally asked for 1 tsp thyme and 1 tsp sage)
salt and pepper to taste

how to crust part #1

• chill ingredients and tools (fork or pastry blender)
• place flour in mixing bowl and chill in freezer while preparing filling
• cut the stick of vegan butter into squares and place into bowl and put inside freezer

how to for filling

• preheat 400 degrees F
• take tofu out of package and  press between paper towels to drain water
• cut tofu into 1/3 inch dice or bite sized peices
• heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat 
• cook tofu until golden brown and set aside when done in a bowl
• heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in same skillet
• add onion, celery,carrot, and garlic and saute onion until translucent
• add diced potatoes to skillet and cook until tender not mushy, stir! (might take a while for potatoes to be tender, try them and make sure they are not still hard if you don't know)
• add flour, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce to skillet and stir
• add veg. broth and stir until well combined, scraping brown bits from bottom
• add tofu, peas, sage/thyme, and stir to combine
• remove from heat season to taste with salt, pepper (i found i didn't need a lot so try before you go crazy) 

how to for crust part #2

• take all chilled ingredients and utensils out of the freezer
• break off pieces of butter into the flour and mix it into the flour as best you can (using a food processor for this would make it easier, add flour and vegan butter into processor and mix until you get very small clumps)
• add small amounts of ice water to the flour and mix
• use hands to knead the dough until not sticky anymore
• roll out the dough so that you will have enough for both the top and bottom layers (estimate)
• place the dough in the bowl and cut the extra strips
• the extra is to be used for the top layer of the pie; re-roll out the extra strips and use the bowl to measure that the size of the dough will cover the entire top

assemble and bake

• oil a little the pan you are using and place crust bottom in the pan, press edges using fingers
• spoon in the entire mixture of tofu and vegetables made
• place the top of pan crust left over veggies and fork edge of pan to seal 
• make a large X in the middle of bowl with knife 
• bake until golden brown about 30mins
• let sit/cool, then enjoy!

  

SUPER tasty chocolate cupcakes

chocolate lovers rejoice! vegans DO eat delicious mouth watering chocolate desserts.
if you cravin it- this recipe is for you!

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
1 cup water

how to:

1. preheat oven 350 degrees F. and lightly grease muffin pan
2. in a bowl sift together flour, sugar, cocoa baking soda and salt.
3. then add wet ingredients; oil, vanilla, vinegar, and water
4. mix together until smooth
5. pour into prepared pan  and bake for 45 minutes- remove and allow to cool!

frosting

2 cups powered sugar
1/4 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance), softened
1/4 cup soy milk (almond or plain)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

how to:

1. in a mixing bowl, use a electric hand mixer and cream powered sugar with the soy margarine until mixture is thick but well combined.
2. add the soy milk, cocoa powder and vanilla- continue to mix until smooth

finally put that chocolate frosting on the cooled chocolate muffins!

new book!

i got a giant big girl vegan book with over 350 recipes!

im.so.happy


:)



here is remy (making his first debut) posing with the brand new book ;)