A great tip I learned from Courtney is to buy berries in bulk when they are in season and on sale and then freeze them! Here is a quick and delicious vegan berry smoothie recipe which makes two servings:
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups of unsweetened rice milk
- 1 cup of frozen berries
- 2 ripe medium sized bananas
- 1-1.5 cups of ice
- 1 teaspoon of raw agave (for sweetness) if your bananas are not ripe
Optional: vegan protein powder
Add ice and rice milk:
Blend and enjoy!
We just got a juicer this past weekend so I have been trying all kinds of different combinations, with one of my favorites being apples and carrots. Especially when you buy organic, you want to make sure you use as much of the fruit as possible so when we noticed all of the “pulp” in a side compartment of the juicer after juicing, we decided to use it to make a sweet bread, and this recipe was born!
Note: taste the apples and carrots you use for your juice because if the carrots are bitter or the apples are not that sweet, you may need to add a little more maple syrup to the recipe.
DRY INGREDIENTS: (for one large loaf)
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
WET INGREDIENTS:
- 3 mashed ripe bananas
- 1 cup carrot and apple pulp from the juicer (remove any seeds)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and then chop up the walnuts:
Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl:
Mash up the ripe bananas with a fork:
Mix all of the wet ingredients together in a bowl:
Mix the dry and wet ingredients together gently and make sure that you don’t over stir them:
As soon as the ingredients are generally mixed, stop:
Grease a loaf pan with a little grapeseed oil. Note: if you want to make muffins instead of a loaf, use muffin/cupcake baking liners.
Pour the mix into the loaf pan (or cupcake baking liners) and do not flatten the top of the mixture, just pour it all in:
Place the loaf pan into the oven and bake it for 50-60 minutes:
You can check to see if the loaf is ready by pushing a toothpick or kabob stick into the loaf. If there is no residue on the stick when you remove it from the loaf, then it is ready! If there is residue on the stick, place the loaf back into the oven and repeat the test after 5-10 minutes.
When the loaf is ready, remove it from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes:
Use a knife to cut around the border of the loaf to loosen it. Then turn the loaf pan upside down and gently place it onto a plate:
Slice it and enjoy!
Below is an example of what this recipe will look like as muffins:
Bean dips are easy to make and great for snacks with fresh vegetables and pita bread. Also, a bean dip can be used as a healthier substitute for refried beans. The recipe below makes 1-2 servings and should last up to three days in the refrigerator.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups of cooked pinto beans or your bean of choice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 medium onion, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of 1/2 of a lime or lemon
Optional:
- 2 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or chilli powder
- 2-3 tablespoons green bell pepper, minced
- 1/2 medium sized tomato, chopped
- garnish with hot sauce and green onions
Add all of the ingredients into a food processor (if you are using tomatoes and green bell peppers, add them at the end after you have pureed your ingredients).
Puree all of the ingredients in a food processor, stopping to scrap the container as needed. Taste and add more seasonings if necessary.
Enjoy with carrots and pita bread!
Portobello mushrooms, which are a great source of fiber, selenium, vitamins and phytochemicals, are easy to cook and a great addition to a pita. The recipe below makes one serving (2 pitas).
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large portobello mushroom
- 1 small onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 pita
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste
Slice the portobello mushroom into narrow strips:
Chop up the onion:
Slice the tomato:
Place the onions and extra virgin olive oil into a pan and cook on medium low until the onions turn golden brown:
Add the portobello mushroom slices:
Add the seasonings:
Cook on medium low until the mushrooms are tender:
Place the cooked mushroom and tomato slices into a pita and enjoy!
You know those days when your fridge is empty and you desperately need to go to the market? This sandwich is for one of those days. As long as you have bread and black beans, the rest of the ingredients can be whatever you have left in your fridge. I did not have avocado, cucumbers or pickles, but if you do, then by all means add them to your sandwich.
INGREDIENTS:
- whole wheat bread
- black beans
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- hot sauce (optional)
If you have any of these, pile them on!
- tomatoes
- lettuce
- cucumbers
- avocado
- pickles
- pepperoncini
Chop up your vegetables:
Start building your sandwich:
Pour a little extra virgin olive oil onto the tomatoes and add salt and pepper to taste:
Enjoy!
If you have two medium sized zucchini, you can make a quick and tasty lunch. The recipe below makes one serving (two pitas).
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 medium sized zucchini
- 1 medium sized onion
- olive oil
- salt, pepper, turmeric and garlic powder to taste
- whole wheat pitas
Gratuitous zucchini shots (it’s easier to grate zucchini when they are whole):
Grate the zucchini:
Chop up the onion:
Pour olive oil into a pan, add the onions and cook on medium low until they become a golden color:
Add the zucchini and spices, then cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
Fill a whole wheat pita with the cooked zucchini and enjoy!
A vegan protein fruit shake makes a quick and nutritious breakfast. You can substitute your favorite fruits into this recipe, which makes one large serving.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 small gala apples
- 3 medium ripe bananas (the more bananas you add, the creamier the shake will be)
- 1.5 cups of unsweetened rice milk
- 1/2 a scoop of vegan protein powder (18g)
- 1 cup of ice
Chop up the fruit:
Place all of the ingredients into a blender:
Pour the shake into a large glass, add a few ice cubes and enjoy!
Fennel is a herb that smells like black liquorice and has a texture similar to celery. It is rich with phytonutrients and antioxidants, making it a perfect ingredient for a salad.
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
- 1 fennel bulb, chopped
- 2/3 of a large red apple, chopped
- 1 head of butter lettuce
- a handful of raw sunflower seeds
DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
Chop up the fennel bulb
Chop up the apple and butter lettuce
Place the fennel, apple and lettuce into a large bowl
Mix the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and seasonings together in a small cup and stir well
Add raw sunflower seeds and the dressing to your salad
Enjoy!
A quick and nutritious vegan meal is a black bean and avocado wrap. I eat them several times a week and sometimes twice in the same day! They are that good!
INGREDIENTS:
- black beans
- whole wheat tortilla
- tomatoes
- butter lettuce
- 2 small avocados
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tsp of organic extra virgin olive oil
- your favorite hot sauce
Chop up the vegetables.
Place a tortilla into a pan on medium heat for 30 seconds to heat it.
Start adding your ingredients (note: I pile so much on mine I can barely close them).
Once you add the tomatoes, add extra virgin olive oil.
Add a dab of salt and pepper.
Roll it up!
Add your favorite hot sauce if you wish. My wrap was so large I ended up eating it with a fork and knife! Enjoy!
The weather is getting chilly so here’s a tutorial for making vegetable soup, something I make all of the time with whatever vegetables I have in my fridge. It’s a quick, healthy meal which is actually very easy to make so I encourage you to make it if you have never done so. Please be warned that you will cringe at canned soup after eating your homemade soup.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large onion
- 2 large potatoes (or a bunch of small ones as seen below)
- 2 tomatoes
- 2-3 small/medium sized zucchini
- 1 - 1.5 cups of okra
- 1 cup of peas
- 3-4 medium sized carrots
- 1 head of garlic
- salt, pepper and turmeric to taste
- 2/3 of a small jar of organic tomato paste (it makes the soup thicker)
Chop up the ingredients:
Instructions:
1. Get a large pot and fill 1/3 of it with water. Bring the water to a boil, add seasonings to taste and add chopped onions.
2. Add the rest of the chopped vegetables, bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and cook it for at least 75 minutes. The longer you cook the soup on low heat the better as you want the okra to fall apart (they thicken the soup and give it great flavor).
Bon appetit!
