Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Raspberry-Pumpkin ProteinCake!

Holy YUMINESSSS!!! This thing right here is DA BOMB people. This baby needs no introduction--just make, eat, fall in love, make again, eat again. Simple. 


      Raspberry-Pumpkin ProteinCake!



Raspberry-Pumpkin ProteinCake!; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. One scoop vega protein powder
2. 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
3. 1/3 cup frozen raspberries
4. 3-4 T water
5. 1/2 tsp baking powder

Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a smallish bowl and microwave 2-2 1/2 minutes belt cool (if you can wait that long...!) and enjoy! 

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Holiday Spice Pudding with Chocolate-Coconut Dusting.

Scientists say that exercise stimulates the brain...i.e. people are more creative when they are physically active. This is so true-I come up with probably 95% of my recipe ideas while I'm running or working out every day. Seriously! This is one of those recipes--I thought of it around mile 4 of my rainy 7 mile run this morning. I wanted pumpkin--I had been craving it all weekend, but couldn't quite figure out what I wanted it in. Then it hit me: pudding...of course! Take a look in my recipe index and you will quickly find that I loooove my puddings--sweet, creamy, light and fluffy...it's definitely a go-to brekkie or snack in my life. It's so versatile, too--tofu is like a blank canvas...paint it with any color and it will still look awesome! 
So I opted for the pumpkin, then spiced and sweetened it up nicely, then topped it with a light dusting of carob powder ad shredded coconut. Quick, simple, holiday deliciousness! A nice light dessert after Christmas Eve dinner...or, for a twist, serve it as a fruit dip! 


  Holiday Spice Pudding with Chocolate-Coconut Dusting. 

Holiday Spice Pudding with Chocolate-Coconut Dusting; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one (makes one meal-sized serving...could comfortably serve a table as an appetizer).


Ingredients 
1. One box Morinu silken tofu
2. 1 cup canned pumpkin
3. 20 drops liquid coconut ( or other flavor) stevia
4. 1/4 tsp each cinnamon and ginger
5. 1/8 tsp nutmeg
6. Generous pinch ground cloves/allspice
7. 1/2 tsp Carob powder
8. 1 tsp shredded unsweetened coconut 


Method
1. Combine all ingredients (except carob and coconut!) in yor food press or and blend until perfectly smooth. 
2, place in bowl and top with carob powder. Sprinkle with coconut an serve! 

Monday, December 22, 2014

Holiday post!: Christmas Cucumber-Cranberry Salad.

Christmas is my favorite holiday to make special good for: I adore the colors, the flavors, the warmth, and especially the love and effort that everyone puts into cooking around this special holiday. I always love to cook, but during this season I reeeeeaaaallllyyy love to cook-there's a certain joy, a certain excitement about cooking for the holidays...it's wonderful! And you guys surely know by now that I'm super sappy when it comes to holiday food...I love holiday themed recipes! 
With that said, this is a super fun, super healthy Christmas salad that can be tossed together in literally 5 minutes for a delicious and BEAUTIFUL Christmas dinner addition. The colors make this dish suitable for a table centerpiece, and the flavors make it uber drool-worthy. Serve this stunning salad to really impress your fam this holiday season! 


  Christmas Cucumber-Cranberry Salad. 


        Told you it was pretty. I know! 


Christmas Cucumber-Cranberry Salad; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients
1. One extra large cucumber, chopped 
2. 1 cup fresh cranberries
3. One packet stevia
4. 1/2 tsp ground ginger
5. 1 T vinegar of choice (I opted for coconut!)
6. 5-10 drops liquid stevia


Method
1. Wash cranberries and place in a medium size bowl. Cover with packet of stevia and mix around well. 
2. Combine sliced cuke, stevia-doused cranberries, ginger, vinegar, liquid stevia, and mix well until combined. 
3. Sprinkle with extra ginger for garnish and serve. 


Recipe note: you can also garnish this with fresh mint...beautiful! 

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Holiday post!: Candy Cane "Flaxmeal".

I don't know if I've shared how much I adore flaxseeds. These little seeds are nutritional POWERHOUSES! Chock full of  filling fiber and healthy fats, just one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds contains approximately 1.8 grams of plant based omega 3 fatty acids--80% more than other plant foods. In addition to its heart healthy omega three content, flax has also been shown to lower cholesterol when consistently consumed. 
Vegana have another reason to love flaxseeds--over and above the nutritional benefits. If you like to bake, flaxseeds are probably your go-to egg replacer (some like chia eggs too...I think the consistency of flax eggs work better!). Not only do flax eggs SUCCESFULLY find together a baked good, but they also add a nice nutty texture. Mmm, so good. 
I personally am quite flax-obsessed. I treat it like a supplement--It's kind of a "rule" that I eat 1/4 cup of this ground superfood everyday! I love them, and they are so nutrient dense! 
My ultimate favorite way to use ground flax in everyday food is a salad topper. Two tablespoons of ground flax can quickly turn a pile of veggies and tofu into a luscious, nutty meal that will keep you going for hours. I also like topping my puddings and Nogurt (recipes in previous posts!) with flax. It adds such a nice texture an flavor. Simply delish! 
However, sometimes my creative juices start flowing (shock) and I get antsy to experiment with different and new ways to incorporate my daily dose of flax into my meals. This recipe is a product of one of these "creative concoction recipes"...and boy am I glad I discovered this. I call it "Flaxmeal"--use it like you would use oatmeal for a nice change is pace. Or, on those extra-cold mornings when you need TWO bowls of hot and steamy goodness, as I did this morning, use it in addition to your morning oat bowl for a hearty meal that will stick to your ribs for hours. 


             Candy Cane "Flaxmeal".

       My current obsession. So good!

                 DEEEEELICIOUS!


Candy Cane "Flaxmeal"; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients
1. 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
2. 1/2 cup boiling water
3. One celestial seasonings "Candy Cane Lane" herbal tea bag
4. 10 drops vanilla flavored liquid stevia


Method
1. Place flax in a smallish size bowl. 
2. In a separate bowl, place yor tea bag and cover with 1/2 cup boiling water. Steep 5 minutes, squeeze out tea bag (to ensure you get all that candy cane-y goodness!), and pour now-steeped tea over flax. Add stevia and stir well with a spoon. 
3. Let Flaxmeal sit for about 7-10 minutes to thicken up. 
4. Once it has reached a lusciously thuan and gooey consistency, pop it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds to warm it tip again before enjoying. So so so insanely good!

Recipe note: the original recipe for this Flaxmeal omits the steeping of the tea...to do it this way, just pour the boiling water directly over the flax, add stevia, and stir. Yummy either way! (And also with ther flavors of tea!)

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Holiday Post!: Gingerbread Protein Mugcake (and my holiday baking fail!).

So I'm not going to lie...I kind of suck at baking. I mean, don't get me wrong, I enjoy baking, but it's definitely not my "kitchen talent" by any means.  I'm much better at cooking--think tofu steaks, roasted sweet potatoes, spaghetti, you get it. However, I'm the type of person that likes to be good at everything...which, I might add, can be good and bad. On top of this fact, we are all well aware of the quickly approaching Christmas holiday (8  days left!!), which means a lot of baking is in the works for many people. So I've been faced with a little dilemma, haven't I?! 
So in my longing to join the holiday baking madness, AND my hesitancy with baking in general, I resorted to my signature kitchen appliance: my beloved microwave. I have an ongoing love affair with my microwave...especially now in my first year of college! Many a "rescue meal" has been hastily created  with help from my giant black spaceship (as my mom calls it!)--quick, easy, tasty, and, of course, healthy. This Gingerbread Protein Mugcake is no different--it satisfies all of my requirements: vegan, quick, easy, oil free, sugar free, contains a serving of veggies (if you use vega protein), high protein, and can be made in less than 30 min...well, actually, this rockstar can be made in less than 3 minutes. What are you waiting for?! Get your faux-bakin' on people! 


        Gingerbread Protein Mugcake. 


              High protein goodness! 

          YUMMMMMMMMMMMM


Protein Mugcake


Ingredients
1. One scoop protein powder (I used vega!)
2. 2 T brown rice protein powder
3. One packet stevia
4. 1/2 cup water
5. 1/2 tsp ginger, ground
6. Dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice/cloves
7. 1/2 tsp baking powder


Method
1. Mix all dry ingredients together in a small, microwave safe bowl. 
2. Stir in water and mix well, ensuring NI clumps remain. 
3. Microwave on high for 1 min 30 seconds. Let cool, sprinkle with ginger, and enjoy! 

Friday, December 12, 2014

Celebration time!: Lentil Mocha Pudding!

It's official...I HAVE SUCCESFULLY MADE IT THROUGH MY FIRST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE!!! Took my last final (medical terminology!) yesterday. So proud! 
Needless to say, when I woke up this morning, I was in the mood for celebration food 👍😋 My breakfasts have been so rushed the past few weeks because of classes...so I fully took advantage of the extra time this morning! 👏👏👏 however, I had virtually NO FOOD IN MY HOUSE. Grocery day, thank heavens!so I used what I had--1/2 can of lentils left over from dinner the other night that I needed to use before they went bad...and tofu...and Pero coffee substitute. Really?! So I took a risk--after all, that's the beauty in food processors, right?! 😂 I was delighted in the result--so delicious and super high in protein. Good deal! 


              Lentil Mocha Pudding. 


          Creamy, dreamy, yumminess. 


Lentil Mocha Pudding

Ingredients
1. 1/2 cup canned lentils, drained and rinsed
2. 6 oz. silken tofu
3. 15 drops liquid stevia
4. 1 T pero coffee substitute
5. Dash of cinnamon for garnish


Method
1. Blend it yo. Then EAT UP! Done. 👍😍

Friday, December 5, 2014

Sweet 'n Spicy Pudding.

I woke up yesterday morning with the WORST SORE THROAT EVER. I literally thought I was dying, guys. Man was I miserable! After moping around in self-pity for a good portion of the morning, I decided food was important...but of course! 👍 But I needed heat. Spice. FIRE-Y goodness to literally burn my throat off. And let me tell you-this pudding delivered. 🔥🔥🔥


             Sweet 'n Spicy Pudding.


Sweet 'n Spicy Pudding; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. 11 oz. Morinu extra firm tofu
2. 1 1/2 packets stevia 
3. 1/4 plus 1/8 tsp cayenne (or go for a 1/2 tsp...bring it on!)


Method 
1. Blend and eat!