Do you like chocolate? Do you like peanut butter? Do you like snickers bars? Yes...
King-Sized Vegan Snicker Bars
Simple Steamed Kale
Sometimes you just have to keep things simple. This recipe is SIMPLE. Sometimes it's the simple things that make the world go 'round... not that I'm implying that gravity (or more literally: Conservation of angular momentum) is simple. Please, don't try to explain it to me, I don't want to know!!! I'm just saying that I tend to OVER flavor foods at times and I LOVE that! I want so much garlic and ginger that the dish burns my throat. Jason wants noodles with earth balance spread and salt. What? So we compromise at times. Here's a steamed kale recipe that's so simple I stumbled upon it by accident. I was working with a patient at their home and they didn't own any spices. I was stuck with garlic powder and low sodium soy sauce. We ate this recipe with brown rice and we were very pleased. The simple things... like gravity or Conservation of angular momentum.
Chili-Hummus Baked Potato
I am SO grateful that complex carbohydrates are REALLY REALLY REALLY good for us! Don't be scared of carbs! The reason there's so much confusion is that there's more then one type of carbohydrate! Simple carbohydrates (cookies, cakes, breads, crackers, candy, etc.) have a lot of calories and fat but little to no fiber to help us stay full which means we get hungrier faster even though we may have eaten a lot of calories already. Complex carbohydrates (beans, oatmeal, brown rice, potatoes, corn, quinoa, etc.)...
Avocado Cabbage Salad
Oh avocado how I love you! You are nutritious and delicious, high in fiber and full of flavor. You're fantastic in salads and chips, or sandwiches and dips, inside burritos or tacos or enchiladas with nachos, and apparently you also work as an ingredient in chocolate avocado frosting (recipe below)!!! Avocado, is there nothing you can't do? Can you also be a chunky cabbage salad dressing too? Avocado is the perfect salad dressing because instead of adding a bunch of sugar and fat onto your healthy salad you'll be adding fiber to your fiber so that you can crap like a champ!
Marinara Alfredo Whole Wheat Gnocchi
The best way I know to impress at a dinner party is to make homemade gnocchi! It's been a trick up my sleeve since high school. I think I might have made it for every boyfriend or boyfriend potential over the years. Naturally this was the dish I made Jason for our first valentines dinner together. <3 I don't think words can express how rewarding it feels to sit down to a nice big bowl of potato pasta... potato pasta that you made from scratch! This delicious gnocchi is made with whole wheat flour, potatoes, and salt. It takes longer then most recipes I post but when you need a treat or want to impress someone special then why not? It goes really nice with roasted balsamic zucchini, San Pellegreno, and your very own Jason! đ
Roasted Balsamic Zucchini
Recipe Adopted: food.com Also make sure to try Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Baked Sweet Potato Fries Preheat oven to 450°F. Wash and slice zucchini (and/or summer squash) into spears. Combine zucchini spears, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar in a large mixing bowl, and toss until everything is evenly coated. Spread zucchini spears out onto a large baking …
Vanilla Almond Cashew Milk
...By making our own nut milk we are saving big time in our food budget. This makes me more and more excited about making almond cashew milk from scratch. It's easy, healthy, and tasty! I love having fresh frothy milk to drink...
Breakfast Tacos
These Breakfast Tacos are definitely culturally confused what with using Fiesta Scrambled Tofu, Sweet Potato Fries, sriracha sauce, and sauerkraut!!! The meal sounds a bit crazy, but do you trust me? These tacos are well worth it! Dig out the forgotten contents of your refrigerator and whip up these bad boys for Mother's Day! Tacos up!
Fiesta Scrambled Tofu
For all the savory breakfast lovers out there, here's a new treat! I made Culturally Confused Breakfast Tacos last weekend and directions for that delicious feast will be coming soon, but first you need to know how to make the Fiesta Scrambled Tofu! Scroll down to the bottom of the recipe for a sneak peak at the Culturally Confused Breakfast Tacos! đ A delicious recipe to brighten your day!!!
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potato fries are not only DELICIOUS but they're powerhouses of nutrition and longevity. According to the Blue Zone Study the Japanese centenarian's (people who live to be 100+) diet consists predominantly of orange and purple sweet potatoes (along with other vegetables, tofu, and minimal amounts of meat). The antioxidants, fiber, and cancer-fighting properties in sweet potatoes are only some of the reasons we should eat them...
Turmeric Latte (Golden Milk)
Most people know that ginger and turmeric are really good for you and it's recommended that you eat some everyday! Ginger is known to help with cramps, nausea, pain relief, IBS, migraines, viral infections, etc. Turmeric is known to be beneficial for things like inflammation, cancer, lupus, pre-diabetes, IBS, etc. Have you tried eating either spice plain? Not so good on their own, but they enhance foods in delicious ways! If you're wanting a hot drink but don't want that nasty sugar-coating left on your tongue (after drinking a Starbucks) or maybe you don't want to spend 37 dollars at the local cafe (Lego Movie?) or maybe you're not into the caffeine buzz well then, try out this Turmeric Latte and get your turmeric/ginger game on!
Whole Wheat Vegan Corn Bread
Who doesn't like cornbread? everybody loves corn bread. Especially with apple sauce and honey and almond milk (ok, maybe that's just me). Northerners like their cornbread sweet! This honey-sweetened-cornbread recipe is from the north.
Popcorn: Curry Powder and Peanut Oil
If you enjoy an international flare to your snacking needs then you wonât want to pass up this treat!
Popcorn: Nutritional Yeast, Flax Seed, and Beyond!
Todays recipe is my tried and true combination for seasoning popcorn. It's the collection of toppings I've been using for years! I like to try out different combinations from time to time (like the za'atar popcorn I posted a few weeks ago--link on the blog) but this combination has stuck out as my favorite...
Simple Hummus
Everybody loves hummus. That tangy smooth concoction that exists in almost any grocery store in America. Hummus is very procurable and liking it no longer makes you exotic or cultured (unless, of course, you don't like it then you're just the opposite). I'm obsessed with hummus and I feel like I'm pretty good at making it. The only problem is that I make it so flavorful that you enjoy it for one meal and have zero desire to finish the leftovers. I decided I needed to find a plain recipe that was tasty but not so overpowering that you need to brush your teeth 6 times! So, like many people, I went to google. I found a recipes titled Better Then Store Bought Hummus. In my opinion store-bought hummus isn't that good but I figured it was worth a shot! I've made it 3 times in the last 6 days. Does that answer your question? Simple hummus FTW!
California Pizza Kitchen’s Dakota Smashed Pea & Barley Soup
If you've ever been the California Pizza Kitchen you probably haven't tried their soup. I get it. Why would you order soup at a California PIZZA Kitchen...
Oil-Free Hash Browns
Hash browns are not usually an item I'd choose from a restaurant menu because they're likely dripping in oil, but this recipe side steps that issue in a way that is super easy and yet still scrumptious!
Tempeh Fake’n Bacon
...All cultures around the world have their own form of fermented foods that they consume regularly! In Korea they eat kimchi, in Japan they eat miso, Greece has its yogurt, Germans like their sauerkraut, and that's just the beginning.(links for more information below). So start consuming fermented foods (in moderation), it could save your gut. The first fermented food on your list could definitely be, TEMPEH!
Za’atar (زŮŘšŮŘŞŮŘą) Scrambled Tofu
I had been tempted to add za'atar all along, but thought I would shy on the side of caution since this was a new recipe for me. I pushed my inhibition aside and sprinkled on the za'atar... folks you will probably see a lot more recipes in the future highlighting this fantastic condiment! It is definitely my go-to seasoning when a recipe needs a little extra punch of goodness! This recipe is still great if you don't have the za'atar, but if you have it... shake it one!
Za’atar (زŮŘšŮŘŞŮŘą) Popcorn
Za'atar is the name of a condiment made from several dried Middle Eastern herbs that include oregano, thyme, and marjoram mixed with sesame seeds, dried sumac (a NON-poisonous red berry that is dried and ground and gives a tart lemony flavor to foods), and often salt, as well as other spices. The exact recipe really depends on which region of the Middle East you are currently in. I was given some as a gift but you can find it in your local middle eastern shop or the international section of a large grocery store.
Peach Ice Cream
Another 5 minute dessert for the books! As you know I have a love/hate relationship with peaches... and sometimes peaches don't love me back. If that's the case then I freeze the subpar devils and try to figure what else to do with them! When I was about 8 or 9 years old my family spent 5 weeks traveling around Australia and New Zealand. We spent 1 whole week at a college while my dad was teaching a class (or something... it was a long time ago). We ate at the school cafeteria everyday and the one thing that sticks out the most to me about that whole trip (besides the beaches, koalas, and kangaroos) was that this cafeteria had peach soft serve ice cream. I had a delicious cone everyday and it was divine. I'd never heard of peach ice cream before! I'd tried plenty of varieties that included chocolate, but peach ice cream? What is this? Well, I don't eat normal ice cream anymore... but I still make my own version of peach ice cream. Easy and creamy the way ice cream should be!
100% Whole Wheat Pancakes
Some days are pancake days. Try out this 100% whole-wheat pancake recipe with zero sugar or oil added. If you have a hard-anodized pan then you don't even need to use oil in the pancake frying process (we have a great pan from Costco)! This breakfast is high in fiber yet just as tasty as traditional pancake recipes. Eat these pancakes with berries, bananas, unsweetened applesauce, raisins, nut butters, date paste, or fruit compote for a special treat that is also good for you. Start (or finish) your day with a meal that gives you energy instead of zapping it from you! Make a double batch and store in the freezer for a quick meal or snack later on. Just pop one or two frozen pancakes in the toaster, spread with peanut butter and date paste (my favorite combo) and head out the door!
Tammy’s Spicy Tahini Mayo
Using apple cider vinegar is easier then squeezing lemon or lime juice, so why not? Just another sauce for your vegan pantry.
How To Make: The Perfect Sandwich
You can make a sandwich out of basically anything. All you need is a good sauce, some vegetables and a protein component. Check out these suggestions and make your own "perfect" sandwich!
Mustard Tahini Kale Salad Bowl
Because mustard makes me happy.
Chocolate Avocado Frosting
Avocados are fiber powerhouses! 1 cup of guacamole gives you 15 grams of fiber! That same cup of guacamole also has 35 grams of fat so it's important to eat avocados in moderation! That fat content, however, is what makes avocados perfect for chocolate frosting...
Vegan German Chocolate Cake (sugar and oil free)
Every year when I was growing up I asked for the same birthday cake. I wanted the German Chocolate Cake Frosting (and pecan glaze) on a yellow cake instead of chocolate! My mom faithfully made a Betty Crocker yellow cake mix and layered it with rich chocolate butter cream frosting and made that infamous coconut pecan dream to coat the top. Sweetened condensed milk, gobs of sugar, and a few very hyperactive children later... you get a birthday coma of happiness (and I loved my mom MORE for it). Flash forward a few years my sister said I should make a German Chocolate Cake that she could feel good about giving to her kids (what a good mommy). One day while killing time at Costco (as my husband went up and down each aisle excitedly searching for a specific extension cord he decide we needed <3 I absolutely love my nerd) I started looking at the cooking magazines and after seeing a recipe for caramel chocolate cake I got an idea to use date paste as the binder and sweetener for the coconut pecan frosting (which means zero risk of burning the frosting because you don't have to heat it. Yes, I've done that before)!
Carrot Zucchini Slaw
Some days I don't want to eat a salad. I know I should eat salads and that raw vegetables are good for me, but so are cooked vegetables so I eat a big plate of steamed green beans or zucchin instead. Other times I make a salad a bit more creative...
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
These brussels sprouts are crispy and delicious! Rich in nutrients and fiber. Cruciferous vegetables (the umbrella term for vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, etc.) have been shown to help fight cancer (check out the links in the post for more health information).
How To: Make Fruit Compote
There is something so inviting about warm cinnamon peaches poured over whole wheat pancakes or waffles. A lot of recipes online use sugar to sweetened the fruit, I don't think you need it! This recipe only uses fruit, cinnamon, and water. Fruit compote is easy, fast and healthy, my favorite combination! Just start with whatever you have and get cooking!