The best vegan chili

Inspired by Oh She Glows

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups diced sweet onion
• 2 tbsp minced garlic (about 4 med/lg cloves)
• 2 jalapeños, seeded (if desired) and diced
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 lg. red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 6 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2-3/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions:

• In a large pot, saute the onion and the garlic in the oil over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and stir.
• Add the jalapeños, celery, and bell pepper and saute for another 5-7 minutes or so, until softened.
• Add the can of diced tomatoes (with the juice), broth, and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high.
• Add the drained and rinsed beans, along with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, cayenne, and hot sauce. Simmer the mixture until thickened, about 10-15 minutes and adjust seasonings to taste if necessary.
• Serve with sliced avocado and chopped green onion if desired.

I've tried many vegan chili recipes, and I have to say, this one takes the cake! It's so flavorful and will keep you full for hours with all that fiber and protein. Enjoy :)

Easy & delicious Vegan protein bowl

This bowl has everything a healthy vegan needs: protein, fiber, vitamins & nutrients. It's also simple to assemble and filling. The Japanese soba noodles I used are full of fiber and complex carbohydrates (none of those processed simple carbs) and add a delicious twist to this bowl. See below for directions.

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked Soba buckwheat noodles (can be found at most grocery stores or Whole Foods)
• 2 heaping handfuls baby greens (I used a mix of baby kale,  baby red & green chard & baby spinach)
• 1 cup canned Great Northern beans (feel free to use black, pinto or kidney if you prefer)
• 1 medium avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes (I used the yellow variety for some added color!)
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber
• Braggs Liquid Aminos - (can be found at Whole Foods. I use it in place of soy sauce because it has way less sodium and still tastes great! Spray as much as you want - I used 4 - 5 sprays per serving for this recipe. 

Directions:

• Cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and set to the side and allow to cool.
• Chop & dice all veggies.
• Grab a heaping handful of greens and place at bottom of bowl you will be eating from
• Add soba noodles on top of greens
• Layer beans on top
• Add all other veggies on top
• Spritz some Liquid Aminos over the bowl and like magic you have a delicious vegan protein bowl! For even more protein, sprinkle some cashews or pepita seeds on top!

 

Healthy & hearty walnut lentil lettuce wraps

Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

For the Lentil-walnut meat (makes 2.5 cups):

• 1 cup uncooked French green lentils (you will need 1 3/4 cups cooked lentils)

• 1 cup walnut pieces, toasted

• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons water

For the topping/wraps:

• 1-2 bell peppers, thinly sliced (I used one, but next time I will use 2 for ample leftovers)

• 1/2-1 large onion, thinly sliced (I used 1/2 onion, but next time will use 1 for ample leftovers)

• Cashew Sour Cream (see below for link)

• Diced tomatoes or salsa

• Green onion & fresh lime juice, for garnish

• lettuce wraps (large romaine, Iceburg, or Butter lettuce leaves)

• Other topping options: Sliced avocado, hot sauce, cilantro, etc.

For the cashew sour cream:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked

• 1/2-3/4 cup water, as needed
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the lentils: Rinse lentils in a fine mesh sieve. Add to a medium pot along with a few cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender (cook time will vary depending on the type of lentils you use - see package). Drain off excess water.

1. Toast the walnuts: Preheat oven to 300F. Add walnuts onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10-13 minutes, watching closely, until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

1. Saute the pepper + onion filling: Add 1/2-1 tablespoon of oil into a large skillet or wok. Cook the onion and peppers over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, reducing heat if necessary and stirring frequently, until translucent.

1. Prepare the taco meat: Add 1 3/4 cups cooked lentils (you'll have some leftover) and all the toasted walnuts into a food processor and pulse until chopped (make sure to leave texture). Stir or pulse in the oregano, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir in the oil and the water until combined.

1. Prepare the rest of your vegetable toppings and wash + dry the lettuce wraps.

1. Assemble: Add a large lettuce leaf onto a plate, top with taco meat, sauteed peppers + onion, and the rest of your desired toppings.
2. For the sour cream: 
   • Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight or for 8 hours if you have the time.
   • Drain and rinse the cashews and place in the blender.
   • Add water, lemon, vinegar, and salt. Blend on high until smooth. You might have to stop to scrape down the blender now and then or add a touch more water to get it going.
   • Once it's super smooth, it's ready! Transfer into a small container. The cream will thicken up as it sits.

Get ready to make the delicious sour cream:

When I bit into these, I was pleasantly surprised by all the delicious flavors! For a serious meat eater however, or someone new to incorporating more veggies in their diet, you can stuff the filling in a large whole wheat tortilla instead of lettuce wraps. That way they won't get scared off by all the vegetation! However, f you are bold enough to get your veg on, try them in lettuce wraps like I did! They are delicious & hearty! The walnut meat is especially addictive, and I look forward to using it more in future recipes!

Healthy & delicious veggie pizza

 What you'll need:

• Your flatbread of choice (I love Flat Out's 100 calorie multi-grain flatbread - its sold at Target)
• Vegan shredded mozzarella-like cheese (Daiya is a good brand)
• Low sodium or no salt added tomato sauce (you can find it at Whole Foods)
• Sun dried tomatoes
• Diced red onion
• chopped broccoli florets
• sliced white mushrooms

Preheat oven to 375. Amounts of the ingredients are really to taste, there are no "right" measurements. Simply spoon on desired amount of tomato sauce, cheese & all the veggies! Rip a piece of parchment paper and place over a baking sheet for no mess. Bake the pizza at 375 for 12 minutes. Leave in a few minutes longer for a crispier crust. 

 

My meat-eater boyfriend's approval rating: 4 stars

He thought that it tasted good but that there were too many veggies :). I give it 5 stars though!!

Sit back, pour a glass of red wine and enjoy!

Mac n' cheese: the ultimate comfort food

For my very first recipe on the blog I thought I would start with one of my favorite dishes. I decided to try out a vegan macaroni and cheese dish from the blog Oh She Glows. Until this point I hadn't yet found a yummy vegan mac n' cheese dish, but this one is amazing!! My boyfriend, the meat eater, loved it too so I know it's a winner!! I can't believe how cheesy it tastes despite being dairy free. And the best part is there is nothing processed about it. As a vegan I know first hand that a good vegan cheese is hard to come by! Hope you give it a try and enjoy! Share your comments below!

What you'll need:

Ingredients:

Makes 4 - 6 servings

• 1/2 medium potato, peeled and chopped (about 1/4-1/3 cup)
• 1/2 large carrot, peeled and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped (about 1/4-1/3 cup)
• 1.5 cups raw cashews
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 4 garlic cloves
• 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 box whole wheat rotini
• 1 slice of whole wheat bread
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance or other vegan butter
• Paprika, to garnish

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Grab a small casserole dish and set aside. In a medium sized pot, add the chopped potatoes, carrots, and onion and fill with water until just covered. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low-medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes until tender.

• Meanwhile, process 1 slice of bread until crumbs form in a food processor. Add in 1 tbsp of Earth Balance and process until incorporated. Place in a small bowl and set aside

• Now assemble your cheese sauce ingredients (cashews, almond milk, garlic, lemon, salt, yeast, pepper, mustard) and add just the cashews to food processor. Process until a fine crumb forms similar to corn meal. Now add in the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients and process until smooth.

• Once the veggies are cooked, drain and add to cheese sauce mixture in food processor. Process until smooth.

• Add your pasta to a medium sized pot and fill with water until the pasta is covered by about 1 inch or so. Bring to a boil and reduce to low, cooking for about 7 more minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

• In a large bowl, mix together your cheese sauce and drained + rinsed pasta. Scoop into your casserole dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Now garnish with paprika and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350F. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or dried parsley if you’d like.

Enjoy!!

My meat-eater boyfriend's approval rating:

5 stars!! He LOVED it! Hooray for a successful first recipe!!