Monday, June 22, 2015

Greek style Pita Sandwiches.

These are super simple, super delish, and perfect for a quick lunch or even afternoon snack! Even better?! You won't hear up the kitchen in this heat! #score. 


          Greek style Pita Sandwiches. 

   Oh yeah...they're also kind of gorgeous, too...


   But I think that was pretty self-explanatory.


Greek style Pita Sanwiches. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. Two whole grain/gluten free pita breads
2. 1/4 cup hummus of choice (Cava brand traditional is my fave!)
3. Two grape leaves
4. One small Roma tomato, sliced
5. Handful of sliced red onion 
6. 2 oz. firm tofu
7. 1-1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
8. 1/8 tsp each onion and garlic powders
9. Black pepper to taste
10. Flat leaf Italian parsley for garnish


Method
1. Lay your pita breads flat and spread each with 2 T of the hummus (divide evenly between the two). 
2. Lay one grape leaf on each hummus-slathered pita. 
3. Place Roma slices close to one side of each pita and top with red onion slices. Set aside. 
4. For the "tofu feta", place tofu in a small bowl and add vinegar, onion, garlic, and pepper and mash with the back of a fork. 
5. Sprinkle tofu feta to the inside of the tomato slices. 
6. Top with parley and fold in half before eating. 

Sunday, June 21, 2015

World's Creamiest (Vegan) Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie. Secret Ingredient Revealed!

So I was going to save this one for The Fit Vegan Ginger Cookbook...but I can't do that to you guys. I love you too much...and I love this SMOOTHIE too much! Oh my goodness gracious. Talk about delicious...this smoothie is literally so creamy you will collapse in your seat (although I hope you don't because then you might knock it over and waste the goodness...)! And you will NEVER BELIEVE my secret ingredient...are you ready for this?! CAULIFLOWER!!!! Yup, I went there. And boy--are you gonna be glad. Enjoy, darlin's 😄


    World's Creamiest Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie. 


There's a reason creamy and dreamy rhyme...


World's Creamiest Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. 2 cups frozen strawberries 
2. 4 oz. raw cauliflower, steamed and cooled completely (chilling in the fridge wouldn't hurt if you have the time!)
3. 15 drops vanilla flavored stevia
4. 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
5. 1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk 


Method 
1. In your vitamix, combine frozen strawbs, chilled
Cauli, vanilla, stevia, and milk. Blend low to high until silky smooth and luscious looking. 
2. If you can resist drinking this straight from the blender, pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Summer Tomato Dijon Spaghetti with Fresh Mint.

Summer is officially here, people. The temps have hit the upper 90s here in Delaware this week, and let me tell you all: I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER! Summer, to me, signifies so many things...family, fun, freedom, happiness, and last but NOT least, fresh, delicious summer produce! The lovely Roma tomato is the star of this show, dressed with a nice tangy Dijon Vinagrette and garnished with fresh mint. This quickie dinner can easily be whipped up in less than 15 minutes, which officially makes it another of my "Dinn in 10" recipes! Enjoy, guys! 


Summer Tomato and Dijon Spaghetti with Fresh Mint. 


Sweet tomatoes, tangy Dijon, refreshing spearmint...what could be better?!


Summer Tomato Dijon Spaghetti with Fresh Mint. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. One serving spaghetti noodles of choice, cooked according to package instructions and set aside. 
2. 2 T Dijon mustard
3. Pinch stevia 
4. 1-1/2 T water
5. One large Roma tomato, chopped 
6. 2 fresh spearmint leaves, chopped


Method
1. In a medium size bowl, combine prepared noodles and Roma tomato. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk Dijon, stevia, and water. Pour over pasta mixture. 
3. Serve into a small bowl and top with mint. Easy as pie! (But so much tastier and better for you!)

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Orange Juice Bowl.

Ok, people. It's here. The age of the Juice Bowl. We've had smoothie bowls, we've had oatmeal bowls, we've had Nogurt bowls. But, alas--a new era is yon us...the era of The Juice Bowl. This simple breakfast is so refreshing for those hot, humid mornings (like this one! At least in Newark, Delaware!), or for a
hydrating afternoon snack. Get creative, too! If you're not into oranges, try grapefruit or even lemons or limes! Just note that if you do opt for sour citrus fruits for your juice bowl, you will want to sweeten it significantly more than if you follow the recipe. Regardless, enjoy your juice bowl! 


               Orange Juice Bowl. 


            Mega toppings! 😍😍😍😍


   "Smoothie bowls ain't got nothin' on me." --Orange Juice Bowl. 


Orange Juice Bowl. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 



Ingredients 
1. 2 medium size oranges, peeled 
2. 1 cup water
3. 2 T protein powder of choice
4. 10 drops orange flavored stevia
5. 2 tsp psyllium husk powder
6. 1/2 tsp chia seeds
7. 1/2 tsp shredded coconut
8. 1/2cup fresh blueberries 
9. Cinnamon, optional


Method
1. In your vitamix, combine oranges, water, stevia, and protein powder. Blend until smooth. 
2. Pour into a bowl and mix in psyllium powders. Add blueberries and stir. Top with chia, coconut, and optional cinnamon. Enjoy! 


Blueberry and Blood Orange Smoothie Oatmeal Parfait.

This one's kind of a mouthful...but this insanely delicious breakfast of mine (enjoyed this morning, as a matter of fact!) DESERVES an epically long title! But long title does NOT mean long prep time; you can whip this bad boy up in about 15 minutes, start to finish. And this can definitely go for a lunch or snack as well as a breakfast...dinner is acceptable, too! Whenever you opt to enjoy it, I know you will! 


Blueberry and Blood Orange Smoothie Oatmeal Parfait. 


          Look at those luscious layers!


  I'm literally drooling. This was so good!

SERIOUSLY. LOOK AT THOSE COLORS. 


Blueberry and Blood Orange Smoothie Oatmeal Parfait. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. 1/2 cup raw old fashioned oats
2. 5 oz. silken firm tofu
3. 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar 
4. One packet stevia
5. 1 medium size blood orange, peeled
6. 1 cup frozen blueberries
7. One scoop protein powder of choice 
8. One packet stevia (omit if protein is sweetened)
9. 2 tsp grated ginger
10. Ginger powder for garnish

Method
1. In a small trifle bowl, spread raw oats on bottom. 
2. In your food processor, blend tofu, vinegar, and stevia until smooth. Spread evenly over oats. 
3. Blend remaining ingredients in your vitamix until smooth and creamy. Spoon over Nogurt and garnish with ginger. 


Thursday, June 4, 2015

Healthified Raisin Bran Cereal.

When I was little, one of my favorite cereals of all time was raisin bran. Hotel breakfasts were a highlight of vacation because I could stock up (for FREE!) on snack size boxes of my beloved crunchy best friend. However, when I got a little older and realized how secretly UNhealthy this "health claiming" cereal is, I was shocked...and heartbroken. Now that I'm vegan, I've started getting very good at making what I peevishly call "copycat recipes": vegan makeovers of non-vegan fave foods. This is one of those such makeovers! And it couldn't be simpler. An added bonus?! High in protein, only 3 ingredients, AND grain free. Looks like someone's having a NOT SO BORING bowl of cereal in the morning :)


             Healthified Raisin Bran. 

      Crunchy. Raisin-y. YUMMMMMY!


Healthified Raisin Bran Cereal. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. 1 cup TSP (textures soy protein) flakes*
2. 3 T raisins
3. 1/2 packet stevia
4. Plant based milk of choice 


Method
1. In a medium size bowl, combine tsp, raisins, and stevia. Mix well to coat with stevia. Add milk and serve! So simple and delish. 


*TSP is different than TVP. For this specific recipe, you want to make sure you use TSP FLAKES, by granules. I use NOW Foods brand (sold on Amazon). 

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Green Curry Mango Sauce with Tofu and Green Cabbage.

Not quite sure where summer has run off to...its 50 degrees and raining here today! Thus, a cooked food recipe is essential to warm up! Enjoy this one--sweet and spicy with hints of tangy and salty. Basically perfect...whatever your craving at the moment! 


    Green Curry Mango Sauce with Tofu and Green Cabbage. 


Green Curry Mango Sauce with Tofu and Green Cabbage. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 


Ingredients
1. 1/2 cup coconut milk
2. 1 cup frozen thawed mango chunks
3. 1 T green curry paste
4. 2 tsp coconut flour
5. Dash of braggs aminos
6. Scallions for garnish


Method
1. In a small soup pot, combine coconut milk and curry paste and whisk over medium heat until mixed. 
2. Add thawed mango and braggs aminos and stir. 
3. Bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes, add coconut flour, stir, reduce heat, and continue to simmer for 5-7 minutes. Sauce is done when thickened and carmelized. Serve over tofu and cabbage with Pitas or brown rice.