Ⓥ Healthy Paradise Smoothie Ⓥ

I have a lovely habit of adding nut butters to everything, especially peanut butter. I also have a lovely habit of adding cacao to most of my smoothies. Either one of those I find offsets any of the green taste from the tons of greens I like to add to my morning smoothies. However, change is good, moderation important, and eating too many nuts isn't allll that good for you anyway. So, this has been my latest super healthy smoothie craze! 

Hope you Enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Came out perfectly, and who knew? Don't need the nut butters or cacao! You could use any combination of greens, but I find that collards and swiss chard don't have an overpowering flavour in comparison to kale.   

The greens and lemon are also alkalizing for your body, so super healthy to boot! 

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free/ 

Super Healthy Smoothie

1/2 a Mango

1/2 a Frozen Banana

1/4 an Avocado 

2 Large Collard Green Leaves

1 Large Swiss Chard Leaf

1 scoop Vanilla Vega One Protein

2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds 

2 Tbsp Flax Seeds

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

¼ cup ice

Water

Hazelnut Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

Add all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency, and less or more sweetener to your desired sweetness. 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

*I make my smoothies in either a Blendtec Blender or my Nutribullet -- both are amazing blenders that make smoothies super smooth and creamy!* 

 
 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Fancy Mac 'n' Cheese Ⓥ

I like to think of this recipe as an "adult" mac 'n' cheese--meaning let's add a little extra umph, some veggies, and other goodness. ;) 

I have made this sauce with just pasta for my younger brothers before as well and they loved it--and they are picky boys, so I consider this recipe rather kid friendly as well. 

vegan / gluten free/ refined sugar-free/ healthy

Fancy Mac 'n' Cheese 

Enough Pasta for 4 servings--I like to use a brown rice spiral pasta, but anything works.  

For the Sauce:

1/3 cup Rice Flour (or any other flour)

3 Tbsp Coconut Oil

3-4 cups Water

1 heaped tsp Miso 

1 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbsp Tamari (or Braggs)

1/2 tsp of Garlic Salt

1 tsp Salt

1/3 tsp Turmeric
1/4 tsp ground Mustard 

dash of Black Pepper

1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast

1/2 cup Daiya shreds

1/3 cup Sunflower Seeds, soaked in water so that they are just covered

1 head of Broccoli, chopped 

Tofu Mix:*

1/2 block firm Tofu, crumbled

2 Tbsp Tamari

1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

dash Chili Pepper, Cumin, Black Pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to instructions on package. (depending how long your pasta takes to cook, start cooking accordingly ;)) 

For the Sauce:

While you soak the sunflowers, make the sauce.

Combine the flour, oil, miso, tamari, and vinegar together in a medium sauce pot and simmer on medium heat, stirring fairly often--until it starts to brown. Once the mixture has browned, slowly start to add water and stir consistently. Add the spices and continue to stir until your sauce is nice consistency. Add the daiya at the end. Let cool. 

In a high-speed blender (I use my blendtec, because they are amazing and use my blendtec for everything), add the sunflower seeds and sauce and blend until perfectly creamy. Add more water if necessary to get your desired consistency. 

Add back into the pot and leave to simmer on low heat. 

While cooking the sauce, if you can manage multi-tasking then make the tofu and broccoli. 

Simply sauté the tofu in tamari and spices, stirring so that it doesn't stick but allow it to brown and really soak up the flavour. 

*You could also just add in veggies dogs or faux meats of some sort, but I love the ease of cooking tofu and the better health factors. 

*I also love making tofu balls instead if you have the time. 

Add the broccoli to the tofu towards the end so it gets nice and tender but not overcooked. 

Add everything together in one large pot--you can probably use the pasta pot if you used a big one. 

Serve! Enjoy! 

Makes 4-5 servings. 

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♥ Vegan Cuts: Vegan Starter Kit + Monthly Boxes ♥

Discover the Best in Vegan Products.

There are so many amazing vegan products out there in the world, so it always makes me super happy when places like Vegan Cuts exist. I've loved this company since they started, and what a wonder it's been to have them around. For the newly vegan, long-time vegan, or interested to convert, there's something for everyone. Even if you're not vegan, the products that Vegan Cuts carries are super awesome, and I love that health is in mind. 

What I especially love about Vegan Cuts is their oh-so-neat monthly kits and promos they have. Right now, they have a Vegan Starter Kit, which is why I felt especially compelled to share today. Okay, so here it goes, check out the Vegan Starter Kit and the monthly kits available… 

"If you or someone you know is taking those first steps toward veganism, this limited edition Vegan Starter Kit is sure to help. From sweet and savory snacks to protein powders to recipes to coupons, this is the ultimate kit for transitioning vegans."

In the usual Vegan Snack Box, there is also a current additions $15 Vega gift card! What a great time to sign up! ^_^

Finding Cruelty-free Beauty Products has never been easier or more exciting!!

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Rice Pudding Ⓥ

I love this recipe as a healthy breakfast alternative. Of course, it makes a great dessert as well. ;) 

Super easy and healthy!  

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free

Rice Pudding

1 1/2 cups cooked Brown Rice*

1 1/4 cups Coconut Milk**

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup Agave or maple syrup (or use a little less and use stevia as well)

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground Ginger

1/8 tsp ground Nutmeg

*I like to make a batch of Brown Rice for a couple of days for rice bowls and, well, for this recipe. If you don't have rice already made then either make it the night before (since it takes about 50minutes to cook brown rice) or, if you have time, make it in the morning.

**Coconut Milk: use the liquid of a chilled can (I always like to store mine in a cold room or keep one handy in the fridge for recipes), and part of the thick part so that you get enough--store the rest for another recipe for your week :)

In a medium saucepan, add the rice with all of your ingredients. Stir well to combine, and cook the mixture over low heat until warmed and you get a nice consistency that isn't too watery but isn't too dry (add a little water or more coconut milk as necessary). 

Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and serve warm--or chill in the fridge, both are delish! 

Serves 2-3

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Easy Pan-fried Potatoes Ⓥ

This is a super delicious side dish to a tofu scramble, a veggie burger, or even a starchy meal on its own. ;) Easy, quick, yummy! 

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free 

Easy Pan-fried Potatoes

2-3 large Potatoes, chopped into cubes 

1/2 tsp Salt

1-2 Garlic cloves, minced (depending how garlicky you want them)

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Basil

1/2 tsp the following spices: oregano, cumin, turmeric

1/4 tsp black pepper 

Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil 

In a large frying pan, bring some water to a boil. 

Toss in your cubed potatoes and lit boil for a couple of minutes until the potatoes cook to a nice firmness--do Not overcook them, you don't want them fully cooked at this point, just enough so that you can poke a fork in them. 

Drain the water. 

Add your spices and the garlic and a touch of olive oil, sauté for a couple of minutes. 

Once the potatoes start sticking a bit, add your coconut oil and continue to fry until your potatoes are a lovely golden brown, stirring fairly frequently. 

The coconut oil adds a lovely flavour while also prevents the potatoes from sticking. I always make perfect pan-fried potatoes this method, though you do have to watch the first boiling step because if you overcook them at this step then the potatoes turn out a little more on the mushy side--though still taste amazing. 

Makes 4 small servings, or 3 larger portions. 

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Pumpkin Pie Ⓥ

I can't actually believe that I haven't posted a traditional pumpkin pie recipe yet! I made this last week and posted a photo on instagram and immediately had people requesting the recipe. So, here it is! 

For whatever reason, pumpkin pie mixtures have tended to be runny for me in the past (looking online, I've seen lots of others have this same problem), even when following various recipes perfectly. I've found a few tricks that help, as well as the right cooking times-and allowing the pie to set overnight. So hopefully you, too, will enjoy non-runny pumpkin pie. ;)  I've added some helpful hints and ingredients that will help below.

Anyway, what's more amazing than pumpkin pie this time of year? Nothing, that's what! Enjoy this healthy, easy, delicious recipe for yourself and those you love to share with. ;) 

Pumpkin Pie

Pie Crust:

2 cups Almonds, (or pecans or walnuts)

1/2 cup Dates

Dash of sea salt

Blend the crust ingredients together in a food processor or high speed blender. You want it to be blended enough to hold together, but not so blended that you end up with almond butter. ;) Evenly distribute in the bottom of a lightly oiled pie plate, pressing it down evenly.

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

1 16-oz can of Pumpkin Puree (unsweetened)

1/4 cup Tapioca Starch 

1/2 cup Agave (or sweeten to taste with stevia and just add a touch of agave)

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Ginger, ground

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 cup almond milk or water 

1 tbsp Coconut oil (optional, but highly recommended)

Preheat oven to 425℉.

In a food processor, blender, or even just a large bowl, combine your ingredients until well mixed. 

Pour into your pie crust. 

Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F, and then reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes--check it frequently so you don't burn the crust.

Let cool and set overnight in the refrigerator. 

The coconut oil helps to solidify the pumpkin mixture once you take it out of the oven and allow it to set overnight, this is why I highly recommend using it. You don't Need it, it will still taste amazing without it, but it just might be a little less firm. 

Top with Coconut Whipped Cream (super easy recipe here) and enjoy! :) 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Vegan Nachos Ⓥ

Vegan Nachos for dinner?! Why the hell not? That's what me and hubby thought the other night anyways. It was super delicious, and of course I instagramed it ;p and was asked for the recipe, so I though to myself what a great idea for this week's sunday recipe post. :) 

So, vegan nachos, in all their cheesy dreamy delicious glory. Make them for supper like we did, or make them to snack on or to share with friends. Either way, you win with this yummy platter! 

Vegan Nachos

1/2 pound Tofu (anything from soft to firm works great)

1 Tbsp Tamari (wheat-free)

1/4 tsp each of these spices: Black Pepper, Cumin, ground Mustard

1/2 tsp Turmeric and Chili Powder

1/2 Tbsp Parsley

touch of oil or water*

1 Green Pepper

Sundried Tomatoes

2 Garlic Cloves

Daiya Cheese (or whatever your favourite vegan cheese may be)

Que Pasa Tortilla Chips

*I don't like cooking with oil if I can avoid it, so I use eco-friendly non-stick pans (never use carcinogenic awful teflon!) and a splash of water to prevent sticking--works great, no oil! 

Crumble your tofu and mince your garlic. Toss into a frying pan, and, on medium-high heat, sauté in tamari and spices until the tofu browns and absorbs all that delicious flavour, stirring fairly frequently to avoid sticking. Usually takes about 5-7 minutes.

Dice up your green pepper and add to your tofu mix for a minute or two. 

Preheat oven to 300℉.

Sprinkle a tray (or oven-safe plates*) with as much tortilla chips as you're hungry for. 

(* If you're making this for to snack on, to share, etc. then use an oven tray or something you can use once they're out of the oven. If you're making this for dinner then I prefer to make individual plates--because it's less messy and you just have your serving and can choose how much of everything you want. Just don't touch the hot plates when they come out of the oven (ouch!).)

Top your tortilla chips with your tofu mixture, sprinkle some sun-dried tomatoes on top along with however much daiya cheese you would like. 

Pop in the oven and cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese starts to melt and bubble. 

Serve! And remember to be careful with hot plates! ;o

Makes 2 dinner servings or a lovely sharing plate with friends.   

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Bliss Ball Protein Bites Ⓥ

So, I was hungry for a snack the other day and had been wanting to make some "bliss balls" for some time. I'd never really looked up a recipe, and decided to just throw together whatever I had on hand. As it turned out, these were amazing and like heaven in my mouth. The texture is a little sticky to eat but totally amazing. 

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free /raw

Bliss Ball Protein Bites

1/2 cup Walnuts

1/2 cup Dates

2 heaped Tbsp ground Flaxseed

2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds

2 heaped Tbsp Sunflower Seed Butter

1 scoop Chocolate Vega

1 Tbsp Maca

1 Tbsp Agave

2 Tbsp Shredded Coconut

In a blender or food processor*, pulse the walnuts until grounded, but not quite a flour. 

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the dates and coconut, and pulse until well combined. 

Add the dates and pulse until you have a sticky mixture.

Pulse in the coconut shreds so it's just mixed.  

Form into balls. 

Serve immediately or refrigerate a couple hours or overnight to harden them out a bit. 

Double up or triple the recipe to make more! 

Voila!   

*I used my blendtec blender and these took a matter of seconds (literally!) to make. If you have a food processor or regular blender it can take several minutes for the nuts and dates to break down, but totally worth the wait! 

I can't wait to experiment with more flavours and play around with the texture more--and maybe the appearance to make them look prettier. ;) But as they are, they absolutely heavenly! Like little balls of nutella! How amazing is that?! 

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: (Raw) Zucchini Cashew Alfredo Pasta Ⓥ

As I mentioned last week: sooooo many zucchinis (from our garden)!!! One of my favourite things to do with fresh zucchini is to keep it raw and make pasta! Super delicious and because you keep the zucchini raw you're also keeping all of it's amazing nutrients--plus nothing tastes better than zucchinis right from your own garden (or if you don't have a garden, shoot for local as it will too be amazing ;)).

Okay, so here is a super simple, easy, and divine raw dish to keep your summer sizzling and your tummy happy! 

(Raw) Zucchini Cashew Alfredo Pasta

Pasta:

1 large, or a few small Zucchinis, spiralled into long thin "pasta" shapes.*

Sauce:

1 cup Cashews (soaked for 10 minutes or longer)

1 cup Water

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Garlic Clove

1 Heaped Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1 tsp Salt

dash of Black Pepper

pinch of oregano (optional)

*Zucchini Pasta Preparation: 

Maybe you are fortunate enough to have an awesome spiralizer, but if you don't (and you don't want to fork up $40 or so for one) then there is a small investment alternative: a Julienne peeler! Ours cost us $12 and it works like a charm. It may take a little more time than a speedy machine, but I like the preparation process anyways, and it really doesn't take very long at all to use one of these amazing peelers. Oh, plus you get awesome thin beautiful "pasta" zucchini! ^_^ 

Sauce:

Place ingredients in a blendtex, vitamix, or even a food processor and blend until smooth. Takes approx. 5 minutes in a food processor. If you own a blendtec or vitamix then you can warm it up slightly too (and it only takes about a minute! Did I mention I love my blentec??! ;)) 

Add a little more water if necessary, or to get your desired consistency. Taste test if needed. 

Serve over your zucchini pasta, top with chopped avocado and you have a delicious heavenly meal that's super good for you!  

Makes approx. 2-4 servings.

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Stuffed Zucchini Ⓥ

It's Zucchini season and this year our garden is brimming with them for the first time. We actually can't keep up! So, obviously, it's time for some fun zucchini recipes. ;)

This recipe is super easy to make and delicious. It takes a little time but takes very little effort. Perfect! :) 

This makes a perfect summer meal, or a great side dish! 

Stuffed Zucchini

1 large Zucchini (or a few smaller ones)

1 cup Red Lentils

2 cups Water

1 tbsp Miso (veggie stock works too)

2 Garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp Nurtitional Yeast

1/2 tsp ground Oregano 

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Salt

Daiya cheese (optional/ or other vegan cheese)

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cut the Zucchini lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the centres (seeds and soft centre)--save the scooped out portion. Place the zucchini halves into a large shallow baking dish. 

In a medium saucepan, cook the red lentils in water for about 20 minutes. Chop the scooped out zucchini and add it to the pot along with the miso and spices; cook another 5-10 minutes until the lentils are fully cooked through. 

Spoon the lentil mixture into the hollowed out centres of the zucchini halves. Top with daiya cheese (optional). 

Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes (cooking time will depend on the size of your zucchini--so check it at about the 30 minute mark by poking it with a fork--it should still be firm but not so firm that it's still hard). 

Serve and enjoy! Makes 4 servings. 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Peanut Curry Creamy Pasta Ⓥ

This sauce is so rich, and creamy its heavenly! It's also super easy and quick to make, so double yay! This recipe is not too spicy but with a lovely little kick to it, while the flavour of the dish is subtle yet rich and delightful. 

This recipe came from a spontaneous whim of adding a little this and that while I wanted to make something I hadn't made before. I am super happy with the results and I think this will be another new favourite to my repertoire. 

As always: vegan, gluten-free, free of refined sugars and crap your body doesn't need. ;) 

Peanut Curry Creamy Pasta

1 cup tofu, crumbled

2 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 Zucchini, chopped

Kale, Swiss Chard (or other greens of your choice)

1 can coconut milk (I use full fat by thai kitchen)

2 tbsp rice flour (or other flour)

1/4 cup pb

1 tsp red curry paste

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

Water 

2 cups gluten-free pasta (or whatever pasta you'd prefer)

In a large saucepan, crumble your tofu, add the tamari, vinegar, lemon juice and curry paste and sauté for a few minutes so the tofu soaks up the flavour. 

While the tofu is sautéing, chop up your vegetables. Add the vegetables to the pot and sauté another couple minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little water so nothing sticks to the pot. 

Add your coconut milk and simmer on medium heat for a few minutes. 

Add the spices, salt, and flour, and stir occasionally. 

Your sauce will start to thicken so add a little more water as needed to get your desired consistency of the sauce. 

Add the peanut butter, stirring, and once again adding more water if necessary. Simmer on low-medium heat until cooked. 

Boil your pasta at whichever point depending on how long it takes to boil (this will depend on what kind of pasta you use). Entire cooking and prep time for this recipe takes approx. 30 minutes. 

Add your cooked pasta into the sauce or serve as is so people can choose how much pasta and sauce they'd like. ;) 

Enjoy!! Makes approx. 4 large servings.    

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Matcha Watermelon Smoothie Ⓥ

I'd been wanting to try this amazing sounding matcha smoothie recipe over at the LunchBoxBunch.com for a while. It called for watermelon which I never had on hand but now that it's the summer season they're becoming cheaper which is nice. I tried their version the first time around but didn't use a frozen banana and I do believe it makes a world of difference, so make sure your bananas are frozen when you make this recipe. I also altered the original recipe a little bit to my personal liking. And I've included optional ad-ins that I always use in my smoothies but are totally optional--I just love the health kick. ;) 

I must admit this is definitely going to be a summer favourite! I already loved matcha so much and this is probably one of my favourite matcha recipes now. Hope you enjoy as much as I do! 

Matcha Watermelon Smoothie

1 Banana, frozen

1/2 cup Watermelon cubes, frozen

1-2 tsp Matcha

1/2 Tbsp Chia seeds, soaked overnight or for at least 10 minutes

1 cup Hemp Milk (or other non-dairy milk)

touch of Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

optional ad ins: 

Protein powder 

1 tbsp Hemp seeds

1 Tbsp Flax seeds

Handful of Kale or greens

Toss all the ingredients together in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency.   

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Best Gluten Free Quinoa PB Chocolate Chip Cookies! Ⓥ

I've tried many different gluten-free cookie recipes before, all have been good but not amaaaaazing. These were absolutely positively amaaaaazing! Hands down the best cookies I've ever made. Unlike lots of gluten-free cookies, they were moist, they rose, they had a nice fluffy consistency, and were simply divine! 

I added a few too many chocolate chips (which I didn't think was possible ~_^) the first time making these, so don't mind the photo at the bottom of the chocolate pouring onto the pan--I've adjusted the recipe. ;)

So without further ado, the best cookies ever! 

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free

Gluten Free Quinoa PB Cookies

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup Quinoa Flour

1/4 cup Tapioca Flour

1/3 cup Buckwheat Flour

1/4 cup ground Flax Seed

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Salt

1/2 cup vegan Chocolate Chips (or carob chips)

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 Banana

3/4 cup Peanut Butter

1/4 cup Oil

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup Hemp Milk (or other non-dairy milk)

2 tsp Stevia

1 Tbsp Agave (or other sweetener)

Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly oil a baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. 

In a blender or food processor, toss in all of your wet ingredients and blend until frothy and smooth.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until evenly combined. 

Form into small balls and place on your baking sheet and flatten into cookies. 

Cook in the oven for 20 minutes -- until you can stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean. 

Allow to cool and then try not to devour them all in one sit. ;)

Enjoy!  

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Ⓥ Green Chai Smoothie Ⓥ

I love chai. And I love smoothies. This smoothie recipe combines two loves into a healthful and delicious snack or meal. You won't even taste the greens yet you'll be getting a full healthy serving of it as well as other goodness.

This is how I make this smoothie, packed full of nutrition and omegas and protein and greens, but you could omit the protein powder, flax and hemp seeds if you don't have them handy and you'll still have a divine smoothie! 

The chai I use is also a yerba mate so a healthy caffeine boost instead of black tea varieties. 

Green Chai Smoothie

1 small Banana

1 Tbsp looseleaf Chai Tea,* soaked overnight

2 Dates, soaked overnight

1 cup Water

2 Tbsp Walnuts, soaked 10 minutes

Handful of Spinach

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

3 Ice Cubes

1 Tbsp Flax Seeds

1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds

Protein Powder (optional, choose a mild tasting one like pea protein)

*I use this amazing Mate Factory Yerba Mate Chai tea that is super rich in flavour. I highly recommend getting your hands on it! Otherwise choose a chai tea that is very rich and do choose looseleaf rather than tea bags--I've tried both and they simply don't compare. 

Soak the dates and looseleaf chai tea together in the cup of water in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. 

Throw the rest of your ingredients in a high-speed blender or good food processor. (don't blend yet)

Remove your dates from your soaked mixture and add them to the blender. Use the water in your smoothie by draining out the chai tea leaves with a tea ball or strainer small enough to capture it--if you get some leaves in there it's not the end of the world as long as you have a good blender that won't leave little bits of looseleaf tea in your drink. ;)  

Blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency.  

Makes 1 delicious serving. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Sautéed Tofu Ⓥ

This recipe is so super good and so super easy to throw together. I know it doesn't look that amazing in the photos, but trust me, it is! You could even bread these at the end if you wanted.

Makes a great side to a roast or potatoes!

Sautéed Tofu

1 Block Firm Tofu

1 Tbsp Miso 

1 cup Water

1 Tbsp Tamari

1 tsp Mustard

2 tsp Parsley

1 tsp Turmeric 

1/2 tsp Salt

Chop up your tofu into bite-sized cubes. 

In a large sauce pan, add all of your ingredients and sauté for 10-15 minutes until the tofu starts to brown and absorbs all that delicious flavour. 

Serve!

   

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Sunflower Pâté Spread Ⓥ

This recipe is super simple, easy to make, super delicious, and quite versatile. It is also a healthy and tasty alternative to cream cheese or unhealthy spreads. It's also mostly raw! Double the healthiness!  

Use it as a dip, a sandwich spread, in wraps or nori rolls, in stuffed peppers, or whatever your heart desires! I've used this in grilled cheese sandwiches before with a bit of daiya, which admittedly lowers the healthy part but is still a great alternative to anything else and satisfies that comfort food craving at the same time.    

Sunflower Pâté Spread

1 1/2 c raw Sunflower Seeds, soaked overnight and rinsed (and sprouted if desired)

1/2 c fresh Lemon Juice

2 tbsp Tamari 

2 small Garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast

Once your sunflowers seeds have been soaked and rinsed, throw all your ingredients into a food processor and blend until fairly smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides every so often so you don't miss any seeds or garlic.

Keeps for about 2 weeks in the fridge.

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: 3-Ingredient Soft Serve Ice Cream Ⓥ

This recipe is super duper simple and super duper delicious. You can play around with it too to get different flavours (I'll include some favourites below). 

It is important that the bananas are frozen--unless you add more ice, but I prefer the texture you get from frozen bananas, it's like soft serve ice cream! Yum! 

Vegan, gluten and common allergen-free!  

3-Ingredient Ice Cream

2 Frozen Bananas

2 Tbsp Peanut Butter

touch of sweetener

Throw the frozen bananas into your food processor (you can use some blenders but it might not work the same — you could also use certain juicers. I make this in my Blendtec and it works great too but I usually have to add a little liquid). Then turn the processor on and let it run for about five minutes, stopping every now and then to scrape it down. The bananas should get increasingly light, fluffy, and smooth. Towards the end, add the peanut butter and sweetener if desired and continue to process. By the time you’re done, it’ll resemble a creamy bowl of soft serve! 

Eat immediately (or it will loose its texture). 

Voila! Soft serve ice cream!!! 

Makes 2 delicious servings. 

Now, for some extras for different Flavours…

Add 1 Tbsp Vanilla extract for, well vanilla. 

Add 1-2 Tbsp Cocoa for a chocolatey flavour. 

Add a scoop of Choc-a-lot Vega for a protein and chocolatey boost! 

Sub Peanut Butter for Almond Butter or Hazelnut Butter for different flavours. (you can also make this without any nut butter altogether for simple soft serve)

After you've made the ice cream, add a peanut butter larabar and pulse to get yummy chewy chunks. 

You can also pulse in any other handy desserts, like cheesecake, brownie pieces, oreo-type cookies, and so forth! Yum!

You'll never miss blizzards again! ;)  

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