Saturday, February 28, 2015

Fiesta time!: Simple Salsa Cream Dip.

I've been feeling very hyper all day today...not sure what from, but hey--I'M NOT COMPLAINING! I love being randomly hyper...it may or may not happen frequently...🙊💃 anyway, whenever I'm hyper I crave spicy foods...I guess to make me more hyper?! Or to go WITH my hyperness...I don't know. But it always happens haha! 
So this is today's hyper-spicy-food 
creation that ended up being an awesome and super simple new recipe to share with you loveys! Now I'm even more excited and hyper...


             Simple Salsa Cream Dip. 


       Spicy + Creamy = Perfection. 


Simple Salsa Cream Dip; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. 1/2 cup jarred hot salsa
2. 6 oz. silken soft tofu
3. Onion and garlic powders, 1/8 tsp. each
4. Dash braggs liquid aminos 


Method
1. Add all ingredients to your mini food processor and blend until smooth. 
2. Serve with raw veggies, homemade corn chips, you name it. Enjoy! Told you it was simple.  

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Apple Pie Oatmeal.

This. Is. Amazing. That. Is. All. GO MAKE THIS NOW! 


                 Apple Pie Oatmeal. 


                Oh. My. Word. YES. 


Apple Pie Oatmeal; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients 
1. 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2. 1 cup almond milk 
3. 3/4 cup water
4. 2 T ground flaxseed
5. One small Apple, chopped 
6. 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
7. 1/4 tsp cinnamon
8. 1/8 tsp ginger
9. Generous pinch nutmeg
10. Dash allspice/cloves


Method 
1. Bring almond milk to a boil, and reduce heat to medium. 
2. In a bowl, mix oats, flax, and spices.  Add to almond milk and stir well. When beginning to thicken, add chopped Apple, water, and applesauce. Turn heat to high, and cook 15 minutes, stirring constantly (and watching for splatters!!), until desired thickness is reached. 


Sweet 'n Sour Spaghetti Pasta Salad.

This kind of goes without saying, but I LOOOVE taking traditional recipes (pasta salad, for example!) and putting a totally weird spin on them. It's so fun to come up with creative flavor combinations, and even MORE fun to EAT it afterwards! Nothing better 😄 this is a really fun recipe--super colorful, too! Nice and quick, tastes super fresh, and can be made ahead (and taken to a picnic!). The use of spaghetti noodles really makes this recipe awesome. Most pasta salads use bow tie, macaroni, fusilli, shells, you get the point. But...I'm not most 🙌😂 hope you enjoy!


    Sweet 'n Sour Spaghetti Pasta Salad!


   Where have you been all my life?!


Sweet 'n Sour Spaghetti Pasta Salad; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. One serving spaghetti noodles of choice, cooked and cooled
2. 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
3. 3/4 cup steamed, sliced beets (canned is fine), sliced into matchsticks
4. 1/2 cup white beans of choice (I used navy--great northern are great, too!)
5. One stalk celery, sliced
6. 2 T Apple cider vinegar
7. 1/2 packet stevia
8. Ground ginger


Method
1. In a large bowl or on a large plate, arrange your chopped spinach. Place cooled spaghetti noods on top. 
2. Top noodles with beets, then beans, then celery. 
3. In a small bowl, vigorously whisk vinegar and stevia to make a Vinagrette. Pour over pasta salad, and top with ginger. Enjoy! 


Note: I actually rink this tastes better if you let it sit for a while...it will begin to marinate and absorb the Vinagrette...yum!

Pink Lady Stew!

It never fails...every February, all I want to make is pink food. I undoubtedly blame that on all the cutesy Valentine's Day displays in stores. And it really doesn't take much to get me in the mood to cook holiday-themed food...I'm so sappy! 😂 
Anywho, the idea for this awesome stew came to me while I was cooking it. Totally serious right now! I just started throwing things into a pot, and voila! New favorite recipe! Hope you enjoy! (Hint: this one is PERFECT for "Soup Sundays"!)


                   Pink Lady Stew!


     Everything's better when it's pink!


Pink Lady Stew!; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. 1 1/3 cups water, divided
2. 2 oz sliced red onion
3. 2 tsp minced garlic 
4. 1 T Apple cider vinegar
5. 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach
6. 1 cup great northern beans (or other white beans)
7. 3/4 cup steamed, sliced beets (I used canned, actually. Just make sure they have no salt and no sugar added...just beets and water)
8. 1/2 packet stevia
9. 1/4 tsp nutmeg
10. Chives for garnish


Method 
1. Sauté onion and garlic in 1/3 cup water until soft. Add nutmeg and stir. Cook 2 minutes. 
2. Add rest of water, ACV, white beans, stevia, and spinach. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. 
3. Add beets and mix well. Simmer 5-10 more minutes, until water turns a bright pink. 
4. Serve in a large bowl, and garnish with chopped chives. 




Sunday, February 22, 2015

Sweet 'n Spicy Banana Bread Oatmeal!

Will this winter ever end?! It really feels like not....😭😭😭 I'm cold-natured (which is precisely why I'm a figure skater...? Haha! I'm so silly!), so this weather is literally killing me: today is the first day ALL WEEK that the temps have been above 22 degrees. NO I AM NOT KIDDING. YES I STILL LIVE IN VIRGINIA...aka the SOUTH where it's supposed to be WARM. Lol. 
Needless to say, I've been making a TON of warm food. You guys know I am primarily (80%) raw, but I've had to make an exception this week--BRING ON THE HEAT BABY! And boy, does this hawt oat bowl ever! Sinlessly delicious, super easy, and will have you sweating (I'm serious...I DID! True story.) in no time 🔥👌 enjoy, my little snow bunnies! I'm off to make tea...❄️😂 


      Sweet 'n Spicy Banana Bread Oatmeal. 



     Topped with PB...but of course!


       Ooey-gooey-spicy GOODNESS! 



Sweet 'n Spicy Banana Bread Oatmeal!; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2. 1 cup almond milk
3. 1 overripe banana, sliced 
4. 1/4 tsp (less if you're a spice wimp) cayenne
5. 1/2 cup water
6. 2 T Peanut Butter (optional, but OH SO HIGHLY recommended!)



Method 
1. In a small pot on the stove, bring your almond milk to a boil. Remove from burner, reduce heat to medium, stir in oats, and return to heat. 
2. When beginning to thicken, add sliced banana, cayenne, and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened to desired consistency. 
3. Top with PB and EAT! Serve with water hehe...🔥😳😋

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Raw Goodness: TFVG's Asian Glow Bowl.

If you follow me on Instagram (@thefitveganginger), you already know that I LOVE my raw veggies--I don't go a single meal without a bowl of raw deliciousness! My diet is primarily raw or almost raw based...If I had to guess I would say it's about an 80/20 raw/cooked split. I love making savory and gourmet-style goodies out of vegetables...especially raw ones! Being vegan isn't just easy, it's FUN TOO! 👍 
This glow bowl is super easy, and super DUPER tasty--I just used what I had on hand...you do the same! 

            TFVG's Asian Glow Bowl. 


TFVG's Asian Glow Bowl; Vegan, Gluten-free option. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. 5 small to medium radishes, sliced 
2. 1 cup sugar snap peas
3. Large handful sliced mushrooms
4. 1 medium carrot, grated
5. 3/4 cup canned no-salt added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6. 2 oz. silken soft tofu
7. 1/4 tsp EACH onion powder, garlic powder, and ground ginger
8. 1 1/2 tsp braggs liquid aminos 
9. Pita bread for serving
Method
1. Prepare your veg and arrange as desired on a large plate. 
2. In your mini food processor, combine chickpeas, tofu, aminos, and spices with 3-4 T water. 
3. Blend until perfectly smooth and creamy, scraping sides periodically throughout blending. 
4. Serve hummus in the center of veggie bowl. Serve with Pitas for dipping. 

Cinnamon Turmeric Spice Latte.

I am in the midst of a SNOW DAY today! And boy, is it--we got a whopping 10 INCHES! Yucky haha. Although I'm not into snow or cold weather, I AM into warm and comforting drinks like this Cinnamon Turmeric Spice Latte...mhmm...and snuggling into the couch with this latte and a good book?! Sounds like a perfect day to me...whether there's snow on the ground or not! Enjoy lovies!


     Cinnamon Turmeric Spice Latte. 


Cinnamon Turmeric Spice Latte; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. 1 cup almond milk
2. 1/4 tsp cinnamon
3. 1/8 tsp turmeric
4. 10 drops coconut stevia 


Method
1. In a small pot on the stove, combine all ingredients over high heat and whisk vigorously. 
2. Bring to a boil, whisk well, and pour into mug. Enjoy!




Saturday, February 14, 2015

Strawberry Cilantro Nogurt Mess.

So, if you're anything like me, you tend to overbuy strawberries around Valentine's Day...if this is you, too, then this recipe is your dream come true! It's a PERFECT post-Valentine's day Brek...you can enjoy the fact that you are cleaning out your fridge while devouring this goodness! Sounds like a match made in heaven to me! 


    Strawberry Cilantro Nogurt Mess. 

                       Soooooo good!


           Ok. Now I want this again...


Strawberry Cilantro Nogurt Mess; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients 
1. One box Morinu silken soft tofu 
2. 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
3. 1 T coconut vinegar
4. 15 drops coconut stevia
5. Large handful fresh strawberries, chopped
6. 1/4 cup dry TVP granules 
7. Handful chopped cilantro
8. Ground ginger to taste


Method
1. Combine ingredients 1-4 in your mini food processor and blend until smooth. 2. Place in bowl and top with strawbs, gRAWnola, cilantro, and ground ginger. Serve! 

Friday, February 13, 2015

Holiday Oats!: Valentine's Day Oatmeal.

Are you ready to fall in looooove?! And yes, I realize that was very corny...😂 but in all seriousness: you will fall in love with this delicious oat bowl. Chocolate-y, creamy, oatmeal goodness...steaming and comforting! And just like always, super quick and easy. Serve this to your sweetie and they will forever be yours ❤️👌 


            Valentine's Day Oatmeal. 


                     Ooooooh yeah. 


Valentine's Day Oatmeal; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients 
1. 1/2 c oats of choice
2. 1 c almond milk
3. 1/2 cup water 
4. 1 T carob powder (or cocoa)
5. 10 drops liquid coconut stevia 
6. Two large strawberries, sliced
7. 1/2 tsp shredded coconut, unsweetened 


Method
1. Combine oats and carob/cocoa in a bowl and mix well. 
2. In a small pot, bring a mind milk to a rolling boil. When boiling, reduce heat to medium, and add oat/carob mix off of heat. Whisk vigorously. 
3. Return to hear and add water and stevia. Stir frequently, cooking until desired consistency is reached. 
4. Top with sliced strawberries and coconut shreds.  Serve hot. Enjoy!