Ⓥ Healthy, Easy Vegan Chocolates! Ⓥ

I looooove chocolate! I mean, who Doesn't love chocolate? Well, my only problem with chocolate is the sugar content. Even the healthy dark chocolate that I love still contains cane sugar, and the few times I have found chocolate sweetened with something else (not stuff I can usually find readily locally) seems to disappear off the shelves so I can't restock. Not to mention that dark healthy chocolate tends to be on the more expensive side--which I don't mind as a treat, but when you love chocolate as much as I do you want it to be a little more affordable. ;) Enter recipe time! 

This recipe is amazing because it makes chocolate even healthier than anything you could buy in stores--because raw cacao or cocoa have tons of health benefits, which is super awesome if you love chocolate and don't want to feel guilty about eating it. The other part of this recipe that makes it super awesome is Coconut oil--which, again, has tons of health benefits! 

Lastly, this recipe is awesome because it is super easy to make, takes no time at all, and takes very few ingredients! You can also choose to sweeten with whatever sweetener of your choice--and my choice is the healthiest of all the sweeteners: stevia! Chocolate lovers rejoice! 

Some of the benefits of Cacao: 

• High in antioxidants, which: Protect your cells from damaging molecules and free radicals--therefore reducing risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Anti-aging agents. And improve cardio-vascular health, enhance blood flow, healthy cholesterol levels, and in some cases, reducing blood pressure. 
• Increases serotonin and other neurotransmitters, therefore enhancing mood and decreasing depression.
• Rich in minerals like magnesium (deficiencies linked to heart disease, diabetes and joint problems), sulfur (a beauty mineral- helps detoxify your system and promotes healthy skin!), calcium, iron, copper, manganese and potassium.

Some benefits of Coconut Oil:

• While it is composed mostly of saturated fats, much of the fatty acids come from lauric acid, which is a medium chain fatty acid that combats both viruses and bacteria.
• Lauric acid also helps prevent heart problems like high cholesterol and blood pressure through it’s promotion of “good” cholesterol (HDL) and reduction of “bad” cholesterol (LDL). Also reduces injury to arteries!
• Promotes weight loss by increasing metabolism- the fatty acids are super easily absorbed so can be burned instead of being stored. Also supports our organs, such as the pancreas allowing us to burn more energy.
• Improves digestion and helps with digestive related problems. Also improves absorption of vitamins and minerals! 

Now, on to the recipe! ;)

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free/ 

Healthy Vegan Chocolates

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

6 heaping Tbs of Raw Cacao powder

Pinch of Salt 

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

In a double boiler, melt the coconut oil. Once melted, add the cacao powder, salt, and sweetener and stir until smooth and creamy and well mixed. Sweeten to your desired liking--I haven't measured and it really depends on your personal sweet-tooth, so add it slowly and then you can always add more! 

To keep it Raw, don't overheat or overcook, you just need enough heat to melt the coconut oil after all. 

Once you have the mixture to your desired sweetness, pour into chocolate moulds or miniature ice-cube trays--or whatever else you feel creative with. 

Freeze for at least 15 minutes, or until sets. 

Store in the fridge until ready to use.   

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Ⓥ Blueberry Cheesecake Smoothie -- Loaded with Greens! Ⓥ

What's better than vegan cheesecake? Cheesecake in smoothie form loaded with so much healthy goodness that you'll want seconds! Yup, that's exactly what this smoothie is! Blueberry and cheesecake coming together with the added benefit of a ton of healthy greens--and, what do you know? You'd never even know there was this much greenery in this lovely dessert/breakfast/snack! ;)

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free/ 

Blueberry Cheesecake Smoothie

1/4 cup Frozen Blueberries

1/4 an Avocado

4 large leaves of Swiss Chard or Collards (or any combination of your favourite greens)

1 scoop Vanilla Vega One Protein

2 Tbsp Daiya Cream Cheese

2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds 

1 Tbsp Flax Seeds

1 1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

¼ cup water (or for added flavour, chilled chai tea^)

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. 

I like making this smoothie as a thicker "nogurt" snack, but feel free to add more liquid to make it a full smoothie. 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

^I often brew chai tea overnight so that I can add it to smoothies! Always nice to have some handy and you can make large batches at a time.

*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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Ⓥ 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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Ⓥ Apple Pie Smoothie #2 Ⓥ

Apple Pie smoothies are the greatest, aren't they? Well, here's another Apple Pie smoothie for you that is a little different and equally awesome than the last one I posted. 

Enjoy!!  

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free/ raw

Apple Pie Smoothie

1 Apple, chopped and cored

1 Banana

3 Dates, soaked overnight (to soften them up)

1 Tbsp Walnuts 

1 tsp of Cinnamon

¼ tsp of ground Nutmeg

⅛ tsp of ground Ginger

¼ cup ice

1 cup Water

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. 

Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

*I make all my smoothies in our Blendtec Blender--it's an amazing blender and well worth the investment--and it makes the smoothies super super smooth and creamy!* 

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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: Creamy Lobster Mushroom Pasta Ⓥ

The husband and I went on a lovely hike the other day and we just so happened to stumble across our first lobster mushroom! Now, normally, mushroom picking scares me--what with the high possibility that you're dealing with poisonous mushrooms--but, fortunately, Cory had his iPhone handy (thank you technology) and we were able to google search lobster mushrooms. They have no poisonous look-a-likes, and unlike many mushrooms, they are very easy to identify. So we picked our very first ever wild mushroom. On the way back down from the hike (now that we were looking), we found a few more. How exciting! 

So we had several mushrooms, meaning it was time for a new recipe! 

While this recipe will be delicious with any mushrooms, lobster mushrooms really pack the extra incredible flavour--so if you can go wildcrafting or find some locally, I highly recommend it! 

Creamy Lobster Mushroom Pasta 

Enough Linguini Pasta for 2! 

1 large Lobster Mushroom (or two smaller ones), chopped and diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Olive Oil (+ 1 Tbsp)

1 heaped tsp Miso

1 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp Tamari

1 tsp (just under) Salt

dash Garlic Salt

dash of Black Pepper

3 Tbsp Rice Flour (or any other flour)

2 cups Water

1/4 cup Vegan Cream Cheese (I used Follow Your Heart brand)

Handful of Spinach

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 ;)) 

Sauté the Mushroom and Garlic in oil for several minutes on medium-high heat -- the mushrooms will release a lot of water, so wait for some of the water to reduce so that they can sauté for a few minutes.  

Add the vinegar and tamari and sauté another several minutes. 

Add the rice flour and that last Tbsp of Oil, and sauté for a minute. Add the miso, salt and spices, and slowly add water; increasing the heat a little and cook until the sauce boils and thickens, stirring fairly frequently. This usually takes about ten minutes for the sauce to fully thicken up. 

Once the sauce has thickened, add the cream cheese and spinach, and continue to stir until fully melted and blended. 

Add more water if needed. Taste-test to see if it needs more salt or pepper. 

Pour the sauce over the pasta and enjoy!

Makes 2 servings. 

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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: Vegan Creamy Pasta Sauce Ⓥ

This recipe is super quick and simple to whip together. It's delicious and creamy and packed full of flavour. For the vegan-taste skeptics, no one will ever guess it's vegan. ;)

Vegan Creamy Pasta Sauce 

1 pound Brown Rice spiral Pasta (or pasta of your choice)

1 head Broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into small florets

2 cups plain unsweetened Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)

1/2 cup Vegetable Broth

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

3 cloves Garlic, peeled and pressed

1 tbsp dried Basil

2 tps dried Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder (or to taste--optional, but it adds a nice flavour and kick)

dash of Black Pepper

1/2- 1 tsp Salt, to taste.

1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast

2 tbsp Tapioca Flour (potato or corn starch would work as well, or even any flour)

Other optional add-ins:

Chickpeas

Cauliflower, Zucchini, spinach, or other veggies 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to instructions on package. 

While the pasta is cooking, steam your veggies. 

While those are both cooking, make your sauce: 

Combine in a medium saucepan the soy milk, garlic, herbs and spices, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add the tapioca starch, and stir thoroughly. Increase heat a little and cook until the sauce boils and thickens slightly, stirring every so often. Add more water if needed. Taste-test to see if it needs more salt or pepper. 

Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables and stir gently to coat. If the pasta needs more moisture, add a little of reserved pasta water (from the water it was cooking in). 

Serve immediately.

Makes approx. 4 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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Ⓥ Almond Butter Oatmeal Smoothie Ⓥ

This is a rich, creamy, purely lovely breakfast smoothie for you!

There are a couple variations I've done of this recipe. Firstly, I use amanda vegan yogurt, it's delicious and amazing! Sometimes I op for the coconut flavour one for a more, well, coconut-y flavour. ;) I also sometimes add a serving of protein powder, just make sure it's a fairly plain tasting one so it doesn't mix with the flavours. And sometimes I'll add a tablespoon of chia seeds for a health boost (soak them for about 10 minutes or overnight with the oats).

Almond Butter Oatmeal Smoothie

1 frozen Banana

1/4 cup Oats (choose gluten free ones if you'd like)

1/4 cup Vanilla non-dairy Yogurt

1 cup Almond Milk

2 Tbsp Almond Butter

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

1 Tbsp Chia seeds (optional)

1 scoop Vegan Protein Powder (optional)

Cook the oats, or soak them overnight in the fridge--with 1/2 cup water. Wait until they've cooled if cooking them. 

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

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

*I make all my smoothies in our Blendtec Blender--it's an amazing blender and well worth the investment--and it makes the smoothies super super smooth and creamy!* 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Chickpea Fritters Ⓥ

First thing, these are not falafel, they are lovely crispy chickpea fritters. ;)

I originally found this recipe over at The LunchBox Bunch, with some very slight changes to my liking and to make them gluten free. Check them out anyways, they have a ton of amazing vegan recipes! 

Mine didn't come out as pretty as The LunchBox Bunch, but they still tasted incredibly delicious.

They are pretty easy to make though are a bit messy--but who doesn't have fun getting messy in the kitchen? They are super delicious! 

They'd be great as an appetizer or snack, or a side to a meal like we made them for. I think these would also be awesome in a sandwich or burger, though they are a tad on the crumbly side. 

Of course, these are vegan, and we made them gluten free. 

makes 12 small round fritters.

Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters

1 can Chickpeas, drained 

1/2 cup organic Pumpkin Puree (canned)

1/4 cup Hemp Seeds

1 tsp Garlic powder

2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

a touch of cayenne or chili powder

1 Tbsp Brown Rice Flour (for binding)

1 cup gluten-free panko bread crumbs for coating

Olive Oil for frying. 

*baking note: you could also bake these instead of frying them if you'd prefer. Bake on parchment paper or a lightly greased baking sheet at about 350 degrees for about 20 minutes - or until toasty. BUT the panko bread crumbs are really made for a light fry. 

In a large mixing bowl, add the chickpeas and pumpkin. With a large fork or potato masher, mash the beans until at least 75% of them have been mashed together with the pumpkin.

Add in the spices, apple cider, hemp seeds and flour. Fold together until a moist mixture forms.

Form the mixture into golf ball sized balls and roll in your panko crumbs until well covered - pat down into flatter cakes. 

Preheat a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Once the oil if hot, place the cakes in the hot oil - carefully!

Try to leave about an inch space between each cake for easier flipping--unlike what I did and mush them all together. ;)  

Cook on each side for a couple of minutes - until toasty brown. Try not to burn, although a bit of crisping is nice.

Let cool a bit, serve, and enjoy! 

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