When Veganuary’s communications coordinator, Michelle Valoz, reached out to ask if I’d like to collaborate on an Instagram reel in January…

Vegan Lifestyle, Vegan Recipes

Tags: easy vegan recipes, healthy vegan dishes, vegan diet plan, vegan recipes

Listen to The Rise & Thrive Podcast

Veganuary Special Recipe! Purple Sweet Potato: Loaded with Love

When Veganuary’s communications coordinator, Michelle Valoz, reached out to ask if I’d like to collaborate on an Instagram reel in January…

I was thrilled for the opportunity to encourage thousands of people to adopt a plant-based diet and embrace a vegan lifestyle through their non-profit platform!

She let me know that Veganuary gathered a panel of experts to determine 2024’s official Vegetable of the Year. The panel determined that the purple sweet potato was the winner, and was hoping I’d be up for sharing a plant-based recipe.

The purple sweet potato is a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition. I often talk about “eating the rainbow” and the vibrant purple color of this potato comes from disease-fighting antioxidants called anthocyanins. According to a 2021 study in Antioxidants, the high antioxidant content in purple sweet potatoes fights inflammation and helps reduce our risk for heart disease and cancer. These root tubers are packed with fiber, vitamin C and potassium. As part of a whole foods plant-based diet, eating sweet potatoes can contribute to weight loss, improved immunity and heart health.

Below you’ll find the plant-based recipe I created specifically for this Veganuary collaboration. Make sure you check out the reel on Instagram too!

If you know me, you know that I’m all about helping people build a healthy RELATIONSHIP with food and their bodies. This means that I put a huge emphasis on HOW and WHY we eat (not just WHAT we eat), which makes sense considering 80-90% of people who lose weight through dieting gain it all back. For that reason I added a few tips on eating consciously and mindfully at the end of the recipe!

Purple Sweet Potato: Loaded with Love (a Veganuary Special Recipe!)

Makes 2 meals (with the possibility of leftovers)

INGREDIENTS*

*use organic whenever possible!

Loaded Potato

2 large Purple sweet potatoes (or sweet potato variety of choice)
1 15-oz can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups raw Broccoli florets, rinsed
A few sprays of Extra virgin olive oil or vegetable broth
Slap Ya Mama seasoning (or seasoning of choice, like the spice mix in this recipe from Rabbit & Wolves)

Kale Bed (adopted from my Noochylicious Kale Salad Recipe)

1 bunch of Kale, destemmed, rinsed and chopped
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup Noochylicious nutritional yeast (by far the BEST tasting nooch I’ve ever had!)
Slap Ya Mama seasoning (or seasoning of choice)

Tahini Dressing*

1/4 cup Tahini
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2-3 Tbsp water
A pinch of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 410 degrees
Line 1 small and 1 large baking sheet with parchment paper

Potato

Poke holes in the potatoes with a fork.
Place them on small baking sheet and roast for 35-50 minutes (depending on the size of the potato) until the skin has puffed slightly and it’s easy to pierce with a fork

Broccoli & Chickpeas

Toss broccoli florets with a few sprays of extra virgin olive oil or vegetable broth
Spread broccoli onto one half of the large baking sheet
Spread the rinsed chickpeas on a kitchen towel, pat dry, and remove loose skins
Toss the rinsed chickpeas in a bowl with a few sprays of extra virgin olive oil or vegetable broth, and a few dashes of Slap Ya Mama seasoning or seasoning of choice
Spread seasoned chickpeas onto the other half of the large baking sheet
Place in oven and roast 15-25 minutes

Tahini Dressing

Combine tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt, and water in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly blended (if you double the recipe, you have the option of using a blender)

Kale

In a large bowl, add chopped kale
Add the olive oil and lemon juice and massage the kale with your hands until it becomes soft
Add the nutritional yeast and seasoning and mix thoroughly

Serve

Distribute the kale so that it’s covering the bottom of the plate.
Place one of the potatoes onto the middle of the plate, cut it in half, and score it with a fork
Place some broccoli on top of the potato halves.
Drizzle tahini dressing over the broccoli.
Add some chickpeas on top.

Enjoy (Mindfully!)

Pause before you eat to consciously connect with the extraordinary plants on your plate that have the power to heal, nourish, and fuel our bodies, and the fabulous feeling that comes when we choose compassion.
Eat mindfully, chewing each bite to a paste before swallowing, paying attention to all your senses, and listening to your body so you’ll know when you’ve had enough (stopping when you’re about 80% full and saving the rest as leftovers).

I also want to invite you to take advantage of the following fabulous resources to help you on your plant-based/vegan journey…

Take on the 22Reboot Challenge – The ultimate 22-day transformation system… The simplest, most effective path to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle you can be proud of.

Listen to The Vegan Life Coach Podcast

Interested in working with me (group or 1:1 coaching)? Email me directly: [email protected]

24 Jul 2017

Vegan Recipes

Tags: cauliflower, easy vegan meal, easy vegan recipes, healthy vegan dishes, Quinoa, tabbouleh, vegan diet plan, vegan recipes

Quinoa Cauliflower Tabbouleh

I was thrilled that my quinoa cauliflower tabbouleh creation turned out FANTASTIC, so of course I have to share it with you!

I was about to try my hand at making cauliflower tabbouleh when I thought, “What if I combined cauliflower rice with quinoa to create a hybrid recipe for quinoa cauliflower tabbouleh?”

I’m glad I had that thought because this easy vegan recipe I came up with is super refreshing, satisfying, clean, and nutrient-packed. I have officially labeled it as a new “go-to vegan meal” on my list of meals I see myself making on a regular basis.

As much as I love convenience, I decided to make my own cauliflower rice, as opposed to buying it pre-made in the freezer section. From my experience, the frozen cauliflower rice (which may or may not be found in your local mainstream grocery stores) is great for cooking with, but for raw vegan recipes, it just doesn’t come out right.

Most tabbouleh recipes contain red onion. I’m not generally a fan of raw red onion because I feel like no matter what I do, I can taste onion in my mouth for the rest of the day. Red onion does add a nice crunch to dishes though, so I decided to add cucumber to this easy vegan recipe instead. I was pleasantly surprised how well this worked out! I did use garlic and onion powder in my recipe, but not enough to make you un-kissable 😉

I’ll admit, there is a lot of chopping involved in this quinoa cauliflower tabbouleh recipe, so I suggest making a double batch and snacking on it all week. I actually doubled this recipe and ended up eating half of it in just one day! I love making simple vegan meals that are guilt-free like this, knowing it’s doing my body good.

By the way, if you want to make this more of a meal than a side dish, I’m guessing lentils or chickpeas would be a great addition. And for my fellow fitness freaks, although quinoa contains complete vegan protein, adding legumes will up the protein content significantly.

Let me know how you like it!

Quinoa Cauliflower Tabbouleh

Ingredients

1 cup cauliflower rice
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup cucumber, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 medium lemon, juiced
6-10 mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8-1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
Black pepper to taste

Instructions for Cauliflower Rice

Option 1:

Place cauliflower florets in your high speed blender
Cover with water
Pulse blend until the cauliflower has been chopped into rice-size pieces
Strain thoroughly
Allow time to dry or use a paper towel to pat dry

Option 2:

Use a box grater with the medium-size holes to grate the cauliflower florets into rice-size pieces.

Instructions for Tabbouleh

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly… That’s all, you’re done!

Enjoy!

11 Jul 2017

Ron Badach

Tags: easy vegan recipes, gourmet vegan recipes, grilled vegetables, healthy vegan recipes, kebabs, vegan barbeque, vegan diet plan, vegan meal plan

Succulent Fajita Spiced Grilled Vegetable Kebabs

Nothing says summer better than grilling out, and who doesn’t like succulent grilled vegetable kebabs?

This easy vegan recipe is nutrient-packed, and overflowing with flavor. In addition to the mouth-watering seasoning, using vegetables with a variety of textures is key for creating this satiating plant-based meal.

Fajita Spiced Grilled Vegetable Kebabs

⭐️Ingredients for Kebabs

1 lb. tiny potatoes cooked 90% through and cooled
1 large zucchini cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red onion cut into small pieces
1 large handful Shiitake Mushrooms..stems removed
1 orange pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
Few torn 1 inch pieces of raddichio
1 pint baby heirloom tomatoes

⭐️Ingredients for Fajita Seasoning (thoroughly combine)

2 ½ tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 ½ tbsp crushed black pepper
2 ½ tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 ½tTbsp dried oregano
1 ½ tbsp dried thyme

Heat a well greased grill on medium heat. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and coat with Callicoon Kitchen Fajita Seasoning. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to keep moist and gently coat. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Build kebabs on pre soaked dual wooden skewers to allow easy flipping. Cook for a few minutes on each side until slightly charred. Remove and serve with our Grilled Tomatillo Salsa.

⭐️Ingredients for Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

1 pound Tomatillos
3 cloves garlic
1/4 Vidalia onion sliced
1 Serrano pepper
1 small bunch cilantro
1 lime juice and zest
1 tsp kosher salt

Preheat well greased grill on medium high heat. Unpeel tomatillo from husk and rinse under water to remove outer sticky texture. Lay tomatillo, serrano, onions and garlic on grill. Remove when all are slightly charred (onion and garlic will cook quicker). Tomatillo and serrano should be soft. Place both serrano and tomatillo in a covered bowl and allow to cool for approx 20 minutes. Combine all ingredients into a food processor. Check for seasoning. Allow to chill and serve.

Enjoy!

27 Mar 2017

Tags: easy vegan recipes, healthy pancakes, healthy vegan dishes, vegan breakfast, vegan diet plan, vegan pancakes, vegan recipes

Healthy Lemon Vegan Pancake Recipe For A New Day

Next time you or your family is craving a special breakfast, try this Tasty AND Healthy Vegan Pancake Recipe!

Pancakes are among the most liked breakfast foods around the world. A variety of ways to make them exist, some recipes proving more nutritious than others. Due to the fat and sugar content in many recipes, they tend to be very high in calories, especially when topped with syrup and butter.

Luckily, it’s very easy to make nutritious and delicious vegan pancakes at home. Eating a healthier version of traditional pancakes can provide macro and micronutrients that keep you satisfied and energized for hours.

In order to make your pancakes healthier consider adding chopped, mashed or grated fruits to the batter. Vegetables (sweet potatoes and pumpkins) and orange fruits are a good addition as they contain carotenoids, nutrients that are known to lower the risk for cancer, heart disease, and muscular degeneration. This nutrient also helps improve the immune functions of your body.

Success tips

You will be able to deliver delicious pancake if you adopt the following tips when cooking.

Pancakes are very delicate and need even heat not high heat. Allow your pan or skillet a long while so as to evenly warm up. This will ensure heat is well distrusted throughout the pan otherwise, the pancakes will just be unevenly cooked.
Do not rush your pancakes, cook them slow and on low. Also, ensure most of the cooking is done on the first side of the pancake. As this happens the pan should remain fully warmed and should persist cooking on low settings. Flip the pancake to the other side when the bubbles break through and its edges start to crisp up.
Before spreading your batter, splash good amount of oil on the pan or skillet.
Since this is a vegan recipe no egg will be used, therefore we use an egg replacer. The replacer will add body and improve binding to your pancake. Some of the most common egg replacers include mashed banana, ground flax seeds, and applesauce.
Whipping your batter thoroughly will ensure it gets some air. This will help you to make fluffy and delicious pancakes. Ensure you use just the right amount of lemon juice (citric acid) combine with baking powder.

Healthy Lemon Vegan Pancake Recipe

Time: 40 minutes | servings: 8 small or 4 large pancakes |cuisine: breakfast | recipe type: vegan

Ingredients

1 cup whole grain pastry flour
1 cup nondairy milk (almond or soy milk)
1 tsp. lemon juice
Tsp. fresh zest
Tsp. lemon extract
tsp. vanilla extract
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. raw vegan sugar
tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil
Dash of cinnamon
1 mashed banana (egg replacer)

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients in a narrowly rimmed and tall bowl, this allows more air into the batter. Add all the wet ingredients (almond milk, all extracts, and oil), lastly combine them with the zest, lemon juice and the mashed banana. Whip your batter thoroughly as the baking powder combine with the acid it will become fluffy.
As you whip you batter, you should be warming your skillet or pan. Put your cooker on low setting so as to evenly distribute heat to your pan. Remember you want an evenly warmed and toasty pan for better results.
Once your pan is well warmed (after about 3-5 minutes), splash a small amount of oil to the pan. Roll the pan around to ensure the oil is spread evenly on the pan.
Add a good amount of the fluffy batter and let it spread evenly in the pan. Maintain your cooker on low setting and let your pancake cook slowly, you will notice tiny bubbles forming through the batter’s surface. When these bubbles start breaking, and the edges of the pancake are formed, fluffy, cooked and not wet flip your pancake. Since most of the cooking was done on the first side, you can set your cooker to medium setting to get things done quickly.
Remove the pancake from the pan and place it on a paper toweled plate. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all your batter is no more.
Serve the warm pancakes with maple syrup and vegan butter.

Nutritional facts

Enjoy!

-Kanisha

02 Mar 2017

Kathy Mitchell

Tags: easy vegan recipes, healthy eating, healthy vegan dishes, vegan diet plan, vegan recipes

3 Quick and Easy Vegan Recipes Ready in 15 Minutes

People often have the misconception that in order to eat a healthy vegan diet, you have to spend tons of time laboring in the kitchen. Not true!

Vegan diets that are made up of a wide variety of whole plant foods are rich in essential vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, Vitamin E, iron, dietary fiber, magnesium, phytochemical and iron. Vegan diet tends to be low in cholesterol, fatty acids, saturated fats etc. A well-planned and prepared vegan diet reduces the risk of developing many chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and stroke.

People are often discouraged from taking the plunge into veganism because they think it takes a lot of work to prepare healthy vegan dishes. If you’re one of those people, or you’re already on board the vegan train and could use more easy, go-to meal ideas, this post is for you!

Here are three vegan recipes that you can prepare in 15 minutes or less…

Fast Spinach Curry and Chickpeas

Most of us are always in a hurry and therefore we have no time to prepare the meals we want. You should not worry anymore because this vegan recipe is easy to make and takes less than 15 minutes for food to prepare.

Ingredients

1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
a handful of spinach
3 chopped tomatoes
Mild curry paste 2 tsp
Cumin ½ tsp
Paprika ½ tsp
Crushed garlic 2 cloves
Chopped onion 1
Sunflower oil 1 tsp

Method:

Heat the sunflower oil and onion for 2 minutes in a pan until the onion turns brown and soft. Add cumin, paprika, garlic and curry paste and continue cooking.
Then add chopped tomatoes and chickpeas and stir continuously. Let them cook further for ten minutes.
Add spinach and stir for about 2 minutes until the spinach starts to wilt. Season with sea salt to taste.
Serve the meal.

Spinach and chickpeas are quite good vegan ingredients that are very tasty. This meal is easy to make and all the ingredients are readily available locally.

Tomatoes – Pasta Vegan Recipe

Pasta is one of the main meals for vegetarians. Pasta recipes are known for the simplicity involved in preparing them. This meal is easy to make and you will have a delicious vegan meal within 15 minutes.

Ingredients

1 packet of pasta
1 chopped onion
Pepper ½ tsp
3 chopped tomatoes
Salt 1 tsp
Olive oil 1 tsp

Method

Heat olive oil and onions in the frying pan. Stir until the onions turn golden brown.
Add tomatoes and stir well until it forms a tomato paste.
Cut the pasta into pieces and add to the tomato paste and continue stirring.
Add ½ cup of water and season with salt then cover them. Cook until the pasta is soft, this should take 10 minutes.
It is as simple as that. For a better taste, serve the meal when hot. You can serve with avocado.

Vegan Avocado Toast

Simple recipe if you want to come up with a vegan recipe in 15 minutes. The ingredients are readily available and the whole process of preparing this healthy and delicious meal is easy.

Ingredients:

4 slices of rye bread
2 ripe sliced avocado
1 clove of minced garlic
1 bulb onion
Flaked almonds ½ cup
2 tsp olive oil
Sliced cherry tomatoes
Black pepper and salt
Juice for one lemon

Method:

Toast the 4 slices of rye bread and sizzle using 1 tsp of olive oil.
Crush the sliced avocado in a bowl. Add lemon juice, garlic, 1 tsp olive oil and onion and mix thoroughly. Add salt and black pepper. Mix all this until we combined leave the mixture with some chunkiness.
Spread the avocado on the bread toasts.
Top them with almonds, cherry tomatoes and sprinkle some olive oil.

The meal is ready for serving in 15 minutes, this makes a vegan meal that is packed with healthy ingredients for a tasty vegan dish.

Final Thought

A healthy and glozine lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to create complicated meals that take a ton of prep work. It’s all about finding your “go-to” meals that are both quick to make and nutritious, as well as always keeping your kitchen stocked with healthy staples.

Experiment and enjoy!

17 Feb 2017

Lindsey Bogard

Tags: easy vegan recipes, healthy vegan recipes, vegan desert, vegan diet plan

A Healthy Vegan Dessert: Try Chubbies!

As a child, my mother used to make a dessert called Chubbies…

The base was oats with melted butter and sugar, topped with a layer of melted chocolate and peanut butter. It was one of my favorite desserts EVER!

I stopped eating this dessert decades ago, but suddenly craved them while prego for my second kid. A light bulb went off as I thought why don’t I combine the flavors in a healthy way. Thus, Lulu’s (Lulu was my nickname growing up) Chubbies…which are actually good for you… a healthy vegan dessert!

LULU’S CHUBBIES

Serves about 15-20

Ingredients

1 cup gluten free rolled oats
½ cup raw almond (or other nut/seed butter)
½ cup amber coconut nectar OR 10 medjol dates
pinch of pink sea salt
½ cup raw cocoa powder
OPTIONAL: 1/3 cup cocoa nibs, coconut, or dried bananas (or dried cherries would be lovely, too)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, beginning with the oats. Combine until it starts to form one large ball. You may have to add a little more nut/seed butter or nectar depending on its wetness.
Roll into small balls, about golf ball size. Place balls into a ziplock freezer baggy or container and stick in freezer. They are ready after a few hours, but keep the rest in the freezer door. They don’t freeze completely and are an amazing cold chocolate treat that will make your 6 year-old self squeal!

07 Feb 2017

Anna

Tags: easy vegan recipes, gourmet vegan recipes, vegan breakfast, vegan muffins

Vegan Banana Crumb Muffins

Anna’s Easy-Peasy Vegan Recipe Pick: Vegan Banana Crumb Muffins

This week’s featured easy vegan recipe is by the Minimalist Baker and it’s one of my all time favorite treats, in part because you make everything in one bowl so clean-up is a breeze! My boyfriend is a big fan as well. When I made them, I made a few adaptations, which I will put in parenthesis after the original ingredients. I consider these a “weekend brunch treat” as part of my healthy vegan diet plan because they have some sugar in them. During the week, I like to keep my breakfasts whole foods-based (I drink a lot of Super Food Smoothies)!

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Author: Minimalist Baker

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 11

INGREDIENTS

Muffins:

2 flax eggs
4 medium ripe bananas (don’t worry about measurements – it’s forgiving)
heaping 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) or coconut oil, melted (I used coconut oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used 1/2 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup sorghum flour, and 1/2 cup spelt flour)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Crumble Top:

1/4 cup raw sugar
5 Tbsp unbleached all purpose flour (I used spelt flour)
2 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a standard size muffin tin (will make 10-11 muffins)
Prepare flax egg in a large mixing bowl. Let set for 5 minutes.
Add banana and mash, leaving just a bit of texture.
Add brown sugar, baking soda, salt and whisk for one minute.
Stir in vanilla, melted butter and mix.
Add flour and oats and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined. Lastly, fold in walnuts (optional).
Divide batter evenly among 10-11 muffin tins, filling a generous 3/4 full (I fill mine practically full for aesthetic effect).
Quickly wipe your mixing bowl and add crumble ingredients. Prepare crumble top by mashing ingredients together with a fork until crumbly like wet sand. Generously top muffins with streusel. You should have leftovers.
Bake for 17-22 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes, remove from muffin tin and serve warm. Once completely cooled, store in a covered container at room temp for several days. Freeze for longer term storage.

Would love to hear if you agree with me about how easy and delicious these vegan muffins are, and if you made any other substitutions that worked well!

– Anna

17 Jan 2017

Vegan Recipes

Tags: easy vegan recipes, healthy vegan dishes, Quinoa, stir-fry, vegan diet plan, vegan recipes

Steamed Veggie “Stir-Fry”

Quinoa is a vegan diet plan super food staple. Try this simple, low fat, complete protein steamed veggie stir fry vegan recipe.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
3 cups of mixed vegetables (pre-cut chunks of any combination you like – carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, etc)
2 tablespoons of Bragg’s liquid aminos (natural soy alternative)
1/2 cup of filtered water
1 tablespoon of sweetener of your choice – Stevia, agave, or turbinado
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of diced yellow onions and/or garlic
(optional)pinch of chili pepper flakes (or season to taste if you prefer spicier flavor)

Directions:

In medium sauce pot, cook quinoa according to directions of the brand. (Usually for pre-soak & rinse quinoa, bring quinoa to a boil, then simmer for 15 mins and let stand.) Then set aside.
Combine the Bragg’s, water, and sweetener in small mixing bowl to make the sauce, and set aside.
In a medium to large frying pan, coat with vegetable oil.
Sauté the yellow onions and/or garlic for 1-2 mins on medium-high heat.
Add the mixed vegetables to the frying pan, pour the sauce over the vegetables, and sprinkle the chili pepper flakes if desired.
Cover and cook on low heat for 10 mins.
Serve mixed veggies over quinoa and pour a little of the sauce left in frying pan on top.

12 Jan 2017

Vegan Recipes

Tags: cashew milk, easy vegan recipes, nut milk, vegan diet plan, vegan milk, vegan recipes