One Pot Meals

Plant Based Tzatziki Farfalle Pasta Salad With Sun-dried Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts (Vegan and Oil-Free)

September 20, 2019 by Veronica Grace 3 Comments

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Pasta salad is such a great meal for picnics or lunches that can be made ahead of time and eaten for a few days. For today’s recipe I used farfalle (bowtie) pasta because it has a nice texture and chew when eaten cold and goes well with the size of the other chopped veggies. You might be wondering what I’ve used for the base of the plant based tzatziki sauce and instead of processed coconut/soy yogurt I’m using silken tofu.

With silken tofu it’s just soy milk that has been curdled and formed and instead of separating the soy curds from the whey they are set together so it’s softer and creamier. It also doesn’t have added fillers, binders, or sugar. Quite often you’ll find silken tofu cheaper than a tub of plant based yogurt as well. You can find it at any Asian market, most health food stores and of course on Amazon depending where you live. I like to keep a few on hand for make plant based “cream” sauces like my Fettuccini Alfredo from my cookbook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World.

Of course you can use whatever other type of pasta you like for this salad as well, just make sure that it’s bite sized and cooked to the perfect tenderness so it’s not too al dente or too soft so it doesn’t fall apart. The farfalle shape works well because it doesn’t tend to get as stuck together in the fridge or break when made ahead of time for meals later on.

This also works great for traveling. I often have people asking me what they can bring on a road trip or flight besides dried snacks. Since this pasta salad is dairy and egg free you don’t have to worry about it being food safe and it will be fine out of the refrigerator for a few hours packed in a cooler or a bag. I’ve never had an issue eating pasta salad on a plane or bringing it through security. The sauce sticks to the pasta and isn’t liquid in the bottom so it’s not a concern.

So why not give it a try? Maybe you’ll find some new lunch ideas and you’ll probably want to make the silken tofu tzatziki again and again for using as a dip, salad dressing or sauce for wraps or pitas as well!

Silken Tofu Tzatziki Farfalle Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 recipe of Silken Tofu Tzatziki
1/2 English cucumber, chopped or a few dill pickles chopped/diced
1/2 cup packed sundried tomato halves, sliced (mine were dried not packed in oil)
1 can artichoke hearts packed in water, sliced (6 cooked artichoke hearts, sliced)
454g/1 lb bag of farfalle or other pasta (you can use gluten free if you like)
Fresh dill for garnishing (if you have any left from the Tzatziki recipe)

Directions:

1. 1. 1. Make Silken Tofu Tzatziki and set aside
    2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt if desired. For cold pasta it will make it more flavourful.
    3. Prepare vegetables and set aside.
    4. Cook Farfalle for approximately 14 minutes or to desired tenderness in boiling salted water. You still want it to be a bit chewy but not tough or too soft and falling apart.
    5. Drain and rinse pasta in cold water when at desired tenderness until cool.
    6. Add farfalle pasta to a bowl and make sure it’s cooled down before adding remaining ingredients.
  1. Add vegetables and sauce and toss to combine.
  2. Taste test and add any additional salt or pepper now if desired
  3. Serve or portion out into containers. Best eaten within 3-4 days due to fresh ingredients in the tzatziki sauce.
  What are you favorite ingredients to add to pasta salad?

Oil-Free Plant Based Cannellini Bean Basil Pesto (Low Fat Vegan Pesto)

April 28, 2019 by Veronica Grace Leave a Comment

Oil Free Vegan Cannellini White Bean Pesto (Plant-Based)

I’ve added some photos for this recipe now. It’s something I’ve been playing around with for meals and road trips/flights and had to pack quickly in tupperware and take with me. Whether you’re a lover of fresh hot pasta and veggies or cold summer pasta salad this recipe is really versatile and easy to make. It’s also a great way to use up any leftover veggies from the fridge.

I often find people asking what kind of plant based food they can bring in the car or on a plane that isn’t the same old granola bars, sandwiches, fruit, dried nuts etc. One thing I’ve found that really works is cold pasta salad. When this sauce is refrigerated it thickens up even more so it doesn’t look like a liquid at all. I’ve brought cold pesto pasta on several flights without issue and it’s nice to have something different than the same old wrap or sandwich that may potentially go mushy over time. It’s also nice that this doesn’t spoil very fast either so you don’t have to worry about eating it immediately. For the cold salad version I make a giant batch of rotini pasta and cook it al dente and then dice up raw cucumbers, raw peppers, red onion (or not), fresh green peas if you have them and stir them into the sauce and it’s amazing! For a hot pasta dinner I sautéed some of my favourite vegetables I had in the fridge and tossed them with the pasta in the pan to marry the flavours together with the sauce before serving. Please take my word on it that if you love basil, lemon and pasta you will love this recipe. It’s so fresh and tasty and I much prefer it to the standard oily and parmesan laden original pesto. I prefer to eat my food instead of wearing oil on my lips too!

This is also a great McDougall friendly option if you’re following that eating program.

Oil Free Cannellini Bean Pesto

Ingredients:

1 19 oz/540 ml can Cannellini Beans, low sodium or salt free or 2 cups cooked (any white bean should be fine)
3.5oz/100 grams/2 cups fresh basil, packed (as much basil as you can find really as we’re not using oil it needs a lot to pack flavour)
1/4 cup raw hemp seeds/hearts (or sesame or sunflower seeds)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (or to taste)
4-5 tbsp fresh lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon or more or less to taste)
2 small garlic cloves (or to taste)
1/4 Tsp salt or Herbamare
1/4 Tsp ground pepper

If you can only find 15 oz/425g cans of beans you can use a little extra from another can, adjust the seasonings down a little, or add 3 oz/85 grams cashews or pine nuts as well.

Directions:

Oil Free Vegan Cannellini White Bean Pesto (Plant-Based)

After draining your beans and washing your basil, add all your ingredients into a food processor or high speed blender.

Oil Free Vegan Cannellini White Bean Pesto (Plant-Based)

Blend until smooth.

Oil Free Vegan Cannellini White Bean Pesto (Plant-Based)

Boil 1 lb/454 grams of your favourite pasta like fusilli, rotini or penne until al dente. You can use whatever kind you prefer, white, wheat, brown rice etc. I used La Molisana Fusilli Bucati Corti a cord shaped style of fusilli and cooked it in salted water for about 10 minutes.

Prep your raw or cooked veggies and sauté until just tender.

Oil Free Vegan Cannellini White Bean Pesto (Plant-Based)

Add all your veggies, sauce and pasta to a bowl for raw, or the sauté pan for cooked and stir together.

Variations: For a hot pasta meal sauté and add to the sauce:
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cups of baby spinach
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 zucchini/courgette, sliced
1/2 package of mushrooms, sliced
fresh basil to garnish

For a cold pasta salad stir into the sauce:

1/2 English cucumber, sliced and diced
1 pint/473 grams of cherry tomatoes, whole or sliced
1/2 red bell pepper/capsicum, sliced and diced
1/2 red onion
1 cup fresh shelled green peas/snap peas
1/2 cup small broccoli florets raw or lightly steamed

Additional add ons: For a heartier meal add some cooked brown or green lentils, cubed smoked tofu or seasoned tempeh.

Have you ever made a pasta or salad dressing from white beans before? If so what was it and how did you like it?

Amazon Kitchen Gadgets

Instant Pot Plant Based Jackfruit Carnitas (Oil Free Vegan Pulled Pork Tacos)

August 30, 2018 by Veronica Grace 4 Comments

Instant Pot Plant Based Jackfruit Carnitas Vegan Pulled Pork

Jackfruit tacos are something that are probably a lot more popular now than when I first wrote this recipe. I remember years ago watching The Great Food Truck Race and there was a vegan truck on it that had deep fried avocado tacos and flat top fried jackfruit tacos. When I started using green jackfruit (in brine from a can, not the fresh ripe stuff) I found that it really needs a lot of flavor and cooking time to become a delicious moist faux pulled pork like dish.

I’ve seen some people on blogs and on Facebook complaining about how bad canned jackfruit in brine is, but they actually just opened a can and took a bite of it as is. I definitely don’t recommend it. It’s like a briney cooked non descript vegetable. It’s not appealing so don’t do that. Pressure cooking or slow cooking is what I recommend, as well as rinsing and chopping your jackfruit very fine like you see above in my photo. Add whatever seasonings and delicious sauce you want to it and you will fall in love. The method plus your sauce choice are imperative for enjoying. You can find this Arroy-D brand at most Asian and Caribbean markets, and Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have their own versions as well now too.

I also want to make another point: PLEASE DON’T USE FRESH RIPE WHOLE JACKFRUIT. I see so many people on social media these days talking about buying an entire jackfruit at the asian market wanting to make a ton of “pulled pork” and freeze it. They’ve never used the canned jackfruit in brine, and they’ve never eaten whole fresh ripe jackfruit before. It’s a totally different thing!

A Warning About Fresh Jackfruit

If you buy a fresh jackfruit from an Asian market it will likely already be ripe, it’s not picked green and unripe for cooking typically. Even at Asian markets you might seen green mango or green papaya separately for salad dishes compared to the standard mangoes and papaya that are mature and will ripen on the counter.

If you want to break down a jackfruit I suggest you get some disposable gloves, a knife you don’t mind ruining, and some oil. Jackfruit comes from a type of rubber tree and the sap inside the jackfruit in between the pith and the fruit is very very sticky and will not come off without oil. You will need several hours likely to break down and section off a whole jackfruit by yourself for the first time. So unless you want to eat a lot of it fresh, or you live somewhere that ripe jackfruit is fairly inexpensive you probably won’t want to go this route. Sometimes the markets will have small sections of ripe jackfruit you can buy and it’s a bit easier to break down for a quick fresh jackfruit snack. This goes without saying but if you are allergic to latex or rubber you should avoid eating jackfruit as well.

Here’s a video for an idea

Fresh ripe jackfruit is green on the outside and bright yellow and sweet on the inside. Perfect for eating fresh like pineapple or mango. Jackfruit was the inspiration for Juicy Fruit Gum actually as well. So don’t use this type for making your tacos, you probably won’t like it and will have spent a lot of time and money as well.

If you want a “chicken” substitute for something like butter chicken or another type of curry you can also do that too instead of tacos and just switch out the sauce/seasonings and pressure cook/slow cook that as well. It does benefit from a long cooking time so I wouldn’t just add a can of jackfruit to a stovetop curry that I was cooking in only 15 minutes or so.

This recipe and my Black Bean and Corn Tacos are featured in my Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World cookbook and is currently on sale with all of my other recipe programs for Cyber Monday Sale here.

Instant Pot Plant Based Jackfruit Carnitas Vegan Pulled Pork

Jackfruit Carnitas (‘Pulled’ Jackfruit Tacos)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 20 oz. / 567 g can green jackfruit in brine (Arroy – D or other brand)
1 large sweet onion, sliced thinly
4 large cloves of garlic sliced
1 tsp. Chipotle Chili Powder
1 tsp. Smoked Spanish Paprika
½ tsp. Frontier Mexican Fiesta powder or other Mexican blend spice*optional
¼ tsp. Roasted Ground Cumin
¾ tsp. Herbamare or salt (or less if using salted bouillon)
½ cup / 118 ml. mild or medium salsa (Trader Joe’s tomatillo, Mild salsa, Newman’s Own Mango salsa etc. all work well)
1 cup / 237 ml. vegetable broth (or bouillon in water) for stovetop *see NOTE
1- 1½ cups / 237-355ml. water if needed for stovetop *see NOTE
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
12 corn tortillas (look for oil free low sodium ones)

NOTE: Check your pressure cooker directions for the number of half cups of water you need for each 5 minutes of cooking time. Make sure the broth / water content is sufficient. Stove top pressure cookers need much more water, while digital electric pressure cookers AKA Instapots use a much smaller amount; – around only ½ cup of broth / water total. The onions release enough water to keep it from burning. *If you’re using an Instapot/Digital pressure cooker only use 1/2 cup broth/water and skip the rest.

Pressure Cooker Directions:

1. Drain and rinse the jackfruit and slice very thinly.
2. Place the above ingredients into a pressure cooker.
3. Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes. Check it at 15 or 20 minutes, if it’s your first time cooking over the stove, to ensure there’s enough liquid in the bottom. You don’t want it to burn, but you need to cook the jackfruit well so it’s very tender and has a soft texture like pulled pork. If you use a digital pressure cooker, it should be fine left alone for 25 minutes. Use Quick Release method when done cooking.
4. Serve with your favorite sides like corn tortillas, guacamole, salsa, black beans, refried beans, or rice.

Slow Cooker Directions:

Place the ingredients in a slow cooker for 5-6 hours on low, but use only ½ cup broth or water in total and skip the rest. (In the pressure cooker the excess water turns into steam, unlike the slow cooker, which traps in moisture.)

Additional Tips:

You will have to go to an Asian market or Amazon.com to get canned green Jackfruit. Make sure it says in brine and not in syrup. You don’t want sweetened jackfruit for this dish. I found Arroy-D canned jackfruit in the tiny city of Corpus Christi, Texas so if I can find it there, I’m confidant you can find it in most states and countries. Sometimes I mix it up and add sliced mushrooms and/or zucchini as well to make the recipe go even farther. I’ve also doubled this recipe for potlucks with no problem as well.

Nutrition Facts: 4 Servings (3 tacos), Amount Per Serving: Calories 309.7 Total Fat 1.8 g Saturated Fat 0.0 g Sodium 444.2 mg Total Carbohydrate 68.0 g Dietary Fiber 5.4 g Sugars 6.5 g Protein 4.4 g

Have you ever had green jackfruit before? What did you think?

Tarka Dal Remixed with Yams, Potatoes and Spinach (Plant Based and Vegan Red Lentil Curry)

February 20, 2018 by Veronica Grace Leave a Comment

Occasionally I take recipes I’ve already made and change them up a bit depending on what I have on hand if I need to use up some fresh ingredients or when I’m looking for something different. I highly doubt this is in anyway an authentic Indian dish now, but it’s still really tasty and healthy. I have adapted my Tarka Dal recipe here and doubled it except for the lentils and added yam, potatoes, and spinach to it.

This time I just tossed all of the spices in at the same time instead of making a separate tarka tempering. If you like eating large pieces of ginger or curry leaves in the finished dish great, if not after cooking you can remove them before serving.

I served this over white basmati rice but you can also use fresh roti bread, brown basmati rice etc.

Fat Free Vegan Red Lentil Tarka Dal (Indian Lentil Curry)

Serves 4

Dal Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils (split)
1 large onion, diced
4-5 large tomatoes, diced (or 2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes)
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 inches of ginger peeled and sliced in long strips
1 medium yam/sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 medium potatoes peeled and diced
As much fresh/frozen spinach as you want
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Herbamare or salt to taste
6 cups of water or vegetable broth (low sodium)
1 1/2 tsp roasted ground cumin
1 tsp roasted ground coriander
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds (black)
1-2 dried red chilli, chopped (more if desired)
8-12 curry leaves fresh or dried *optional
2-4 tbsp lemon juice
1 handful cilantro/coriander, chopped for garnish

Directions:

1. Place lentils into a mesh metal strainer and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. *To cook your lentils faster you can soak in warm water while you prep the rest of your vegetables.

2. Heat a large saucepan or large pot over medium heat and add the onions, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Sprinkle a little salt on the onions to get them to sweat. (You will need a large pot or giant saute pan for the amount of liquid here) Saute for 2-3 minutes and then add the tomatoes and continue cooking until the tomatoes are soft.

3. Add drained lentils, yams, potatoes, seasonings (except lemon juice and cilantro) and water or vegetable broth. Stir and bring to a boil uncovered. Turn heat down to medium low and and cover with a vented lid (or leave lid cracked to let steam escape) cook for 20-30 minutes until the lentils and potatoes are soft and to desired tenderness. Take off the lid and let some of the liquid cook down until desired consistency. If your potatoes and lentils are still soft and you need more liquid as water as needed to continue cooking.

4. Add the fresh or frozen spinach and stir it in to wilt or incorporate. As fresh spinach cooks down into nothing you can really add as much as you want here.

5. Add the lemon juice and check for flavours. Add more Herbamare or salt to taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

6. Serve and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Additional Tips:

If you like you can use different lentils, but keep in mind that whole lentils will take longer to cook, so you may need to cook this dal for around an hour until they are soft.

What’s your favorite plant based curry?

Plant Based African Ground Nut Stew (Vegan African Peanut Curry)

November 29, 2017 by Veronica Grace

Peanut Stew is something I’ve been wanting to make for a long time because it’s so delicious and satisfying. I was perusing online for inspiration and came across One Pot African Stew from MakingThymeForHealth and used that as the basis for my version.

Once you try it I think you’ll agree that it’s incredibly delicious and maybe even inspiration to use as a base recipe for other veggies. I can see white potatoes, zucchini, winter squash, bell peppers and carrots going well with this too. It is ready in about an hour over the stove, or you can try using a crockpot and cooking it slowly while you’re away from work.

Another note: Personally I’m not a fan of super spicy food or jalapeños so I omitted them. If you really love jalapeños then please add them as your heart desires.

Please give this a try and let me know what you think!

Plant Based African Ground Nut Stew

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
3-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 teaspoons of roasted ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 large yam/sweet potato, peeled and diced into small cubes (1 lb)
3/4 cup of smooth peanut butter (look for low sodium and sugar free)
4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth (plus more for cooking or use water)
1-2 cups of water, depending on desired thickness
1 bunch of kale/collards/spinach*, stems removed and chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2-3/4 tsp Herbamare or Salt (Less if using salted broth or salted peanut butter)
Fresh ground pepper to taste

To Serve:
3 cups cooked brown rice
roasted peanuts, broken into pieces (optional)
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions:

Add water or vegetable broth to a large pot and heat over medium. Add the onions and spices and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, yam/sweet potato, peanut butter, broth and water until well combined and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium low and cover for about 15 minutes. If using collards, add them now and continue cooking another 15 minutes. If using spinach or kale add them when the yams/sweet potatoes are fork tender (after about 25 minutes) and let cook only a few more minutes.
Using a potato masher or ladle, crush some of the yam/sweet potato up and thicken the broth. Cook for another few minutes until creamy.
Serve over brown rice and garnish with peanuts, fresh cilantro and lime juice.

(I cook my rice in a Zojirushi rice cooker)

I’m not sure how this recipe would turn out for those wondering about using PBFit Peanut Butter Powder. If you do try it let me know how it turned out.

Have you ever made a peanut based curry before? What other veggies do you think would go well with this?

Slow Cooker Recipe: Lower Fat Plant-Based Butternut Squash and Chickpea Coconut Curry

November 20, 2015 by Veronica Grace

Hey guys! I am still working with Iphone photos for now as my professional Canon camera was stolen and I don’t have funds to replace it yet so thank you for bearing with me. Phone pics are not as pretty for sure, but it will do in a pinch and you get the idea. Besides the food is way more delicious anyway, just make it and see.

With fall well underway and my pantry kind of overflowing in dried beans and lentils that I have been hoarding for way too long, I decided I need to start making recipes using up as much of my dried ingredients as possible. You do not want to know how many bags and bags of dried stuff I have. It’s kind of ridiculous for just 1 person, but I used to like having any ingredient at my finger tips when I got a craving for a new recipe.

It’s also extremely affordable to make plant-based/vegan slow cooker recipes using dried, canned and frozen ingredients, especially when a small amount of work can yield such delicious food and have lots of leftovers. So even though it’s just me, i don’t mind having leftovers of super delicious curries because I can just give away a few portions to hungry friends, and freeze some for easy meals when I’m too tired to cook. Plus why spend $5-7 on a single frozen vegan meal, when you can make a big batch of something a few times a month and freeze it yourself, right? Right.

Although I don’t have a slow cooker recipe book yet, I know it’s something that a few of you have been asking for. It does take some time since I can’t make several recipes a day using this method and crank them out for recipe testing. It’s a slower process, but convenient for people who are busy and really hate “active cooking time” i.e. standing at the stove and/or making a big mess and fitfully sobbing when you didn’t stir it enough and it ends up burned… I mean that doesn’t happen to me that often, but I understand not everyone WANTS to live in the kitchen making food day in and day out.

Any slow cooker you have laying around that is a standard size (not individual sized) will do for this recipe, I used my Ninja Cooking System because I could sauté the onions, garlic and ginger right in the cooking insert over the medium heat setting. I don’t like having extra dishes to do when I make slow cooker recipes, so I find this convenient for me and the thing I hate most about cooking is dishes honestly. If you haven’t signed up to my newsletter yet to stay up to date on new (and favourite free) recipes you can sign up in the pink box on the upper right hand side of the screen there too.

Plant-Based Butternut Squash & Chickpea Coconut Curry (Slow Cooker Recipe)

serves 8-10 side portions or a hungry family of 4-5

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash (about 5 cups) peeled, de-seeded and cubed
2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked 8 hours or overnight
1 medium onion, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 inch chunk of ginger, minced
1 can 13.5 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can 13.5 ounce light coconut milk
3 cups/1 litre low sodium vegetable broth
2.5 tablespoons yellow curry powder
1 tsp sugar or honey
2 bay leaves
4 large handfuls of baby spinach or 1 bunch of fresh spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped
2 cups frozen sweet peas
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Carefully cut the skin off the butternut squash, remove the seeds and cut into 1 inch cubes. To make cutting easier you can slice is in half and microwave the squash for 3 minutes and let cool before cutting.

2. *Optional step: sauté the onions, garlic and ginger in a pan with a little water or in the insert of a Ninja Cooking System.* Assemble all of the ingredients in your slow cooker excluding the peas, spinach, salt and cilantro. Cook on low for 8 hours.

3. About 20 minutes before serving, add in the fresh peas and spinach and stir until spinach is wilted.

4. Taste test and add salt as desired. For a slightly thicker sauce you can use a potato masher and mash some of the squash and chickpeas.

5. Serve over basmati rice and garnish with fresh cilantro. (I prepared 3 rice cups of basmati rice in my Zojirushi rice cooker)

Tips:

Dried chickpeas are best as they will absorb the flavor of the curry as they cook. Don’t use canned chickpeas and cook this for 8 hours as that’s completely unnecessary, 4-6 hours maximum as they’re already cooked.

The night before, sort and rinse the dried chickpeas in a strainer, place in a large bowl and cover with at least 6 cups of water. Alternatively you can do the Quick Soak Method: bring the rinsed chickpeas to a boil in a pot of water and cook for 1 minute and let soak for at least an hour. I find slow soaked chickpeas rather than quick soak chickpeas more tender when cooked, but it’s up to you.

For easy frozen meals later, freeze small portions of the curry and rice separately in tupperware containers.

Question: Have you started using your slow cooker yet this season? What’s your favorite recipe?

Reader Recipe: Plant-Based “Cream” of Celery Soup (Vegan)

February 3, 2014 by Veronica Grace 11 Comments

Photo credit: digidreamgrafix FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I received a wonderful recipe last week from a fellow reader named Elke White who was so kind to share this with all of us. What’s great about this cream of celery soup recipe is that it is exactly like I would have designed myself! Simple, oil free, low in fat and using fresh ingredients. Making soups this way are super easy and a great way to use up extra veggies in the fridge, or just an inexpensive meal with leftovers you can save for later in the week.

The key to a low fat vegan creamy soup recipe is actually potatoes, they’re fat free and add some heartiness and creaminess to the soup without any need for oil or cream. If you desire a little more of a creamy texture you can use a few tablespoons of almond milk if you desire, but I think this soup is delicious as is.

Feel free to also use this recipe as a template for any cream of vegetable soup recipe, you can try different root vegetables and create all sorts of combinations!

Plant Based “Cream” of Celery Soup (Vegan)

by Elke White (a fellow reader of PlantBasedU)

Ingredients:

2 packs of celery (1 1/2 – 2 pounds)
3 large potatos, cooked and cubed
6 cups homemade vegetable broth or 4 cups Imagine No-Chicken broth and 2 cups water (do not use tomato based vegetable broth)
1 large onion, diced
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 TBSP fresh
2 TBSP fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Peel the strings from the outer layer of celery ribs and discard. Dice remaining celery and set aside.
2. Sauté onions in water on high heat until clear, lower the heat and add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and thyme (add a little more water if needed, to keep spices from burning or sticking).
3. Add vegetable broth and celery, bring to boil, then add parsley and simmer (covered) for 30 minutes.
4. Add potatos and simmer for an additional 10-20 minutes or until all vegetables are soft enough to blend.
5. Use stick blender and blend until soup is creamy, or place a small amount at a time in a traditional blender and puree until smooth.

Variations:

You may also want to try adding 3 large diced carrots, or 2-3 leeks instead of the onion to switch up the flavours in this soup.

What’s your favorite cream of vegetable soup recipe? Have you ever made a vegan version before?

Spicy Plant-Based Potato and Chickpea Stew from SkinnyMs.com (Vegan)

January 14, 2014 by Veronica Grace

I have another great recipe to share with you from SkinnyMs.com that is right up your alley! Sometimes I just cannot decide what I would rather go for at night – potatoes or chickpeas… Well good news! This recipe has both so it’s hearty, filling yet still incredibly healthy and whole food based. Really you can’t go wrong and what’s even better is that is’s quick and easy to make.

I am still freezing my butt off in Canada and all I can think of is making warm easy meals that can do away with my chills. You know the ones you get when you spend all day working on your computer Although I looove having a slow cooker, sometimes I am just not that organized in the morning so having fast stove top recipes REALLY is a lifesaver. Just toss it together and voila! A one pot wonder!!

So now that I’ve got you all excited and hungry you have try this recipe and let me know what you think! P.S. Did I mention it’s gluten free as too

Spicy Plant-Based Potato and Chickpea Stew (Vegan)

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon curry powder, preferably hot
2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes with juices (I use Muir Glen Organics)
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (you can also try yams or sweet potatoes!)
2 cups homemade vegetable broth (or low sodium)
2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

Stove top Directions: (Provided by LowFatVeganChef.com)

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions {and dry sauté or use a little water}. Cook until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute until very fragrant.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a medium heat and cook for 15-25 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes) or just until the potatoes are tender.

3. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Garnish with cilantro.

Slow Cooker Directions: (Provided by SkinnyMs.com)

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions {and dry sauté or use a little water}. Cook until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute until very fragrant.

2. Transfer this mixture to your slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook over low heat until potatoes are tender and slightly thickened.

3. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve topped with the chopped cilantro.

{This recipe was edited to omit the oil used in cooking to be in line with my reader’s preferences}

Thank you to SkinnyMs.com for allowing me to share this recipe with you!

Quick and Easy Plant-Based Mexican Black Bean Corn Soup (Vegan)

January 6, 2014 by Veronica Grace 17 Comments

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and happy new year! I cannot believe it’s 2014 now and it’s a new year here at Low Fat Vegan Chef. When the weather is cold and chilly I often like to make quick one pot meals as it’s not only warm and satisfying and makes for fewer dishes for me when all I really want to do is crawl under a blanket. This vegan black bean and corn soup recipe is SIMILAR to the one on my Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm ebook, but it is simpler and thus faster to make. Even if you have NEVER made soup before or feel like you are a novice in the kitchen (or even a terrible cook) I promise you can make this recipe.

I find it imperative to have simple hearty recipes like this on hand when I am low on ingredients or simply pressed for time and can’t make something more complicated from scratch.

Have you ever bought a store bought boxed or canned soup? Maybe now you choose those “organic” and “healthy” looking ones. Now have you ever tried them? I have to say unfortunately I have! While they may LOOK GOOD on the package, what’s inside is often so thin, watery, bland and boring it’s impossible to enjoy. In fact I usually end up tossing half of it because it’s so unappetizing.

My soup recipes are different! They have spices! Depth of flavor! Are heartier! And are actually something you’d want to make again and again. So that’s why I want to share this recipe with you, that even if you don’t have a lot of time, or money or know how to cook from scratch you CAN make something quickly that is infinitely better than what you’ll find at the store and it won’t cost you much to do so.

So check it out:

Quick and Easy Vegan Mexican Black Bean Corn Soup

This delicious soup is ready in no time and is packed full of flavour!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz. can roasted diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen Organics)
1 15 oz. can black beans, low sodium or 1 2/3 cup fresh cooked (I use Eden Organics)
1 11 oz. can whole corn (low sodium AND sugar free or 1 cup frozen corn)
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (low sodium or homemade)
1 tsp roasted cumin
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp Herbamare or sea salt
2 tsp lime juice (1/2 small lime)
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro or coriander to garnish

Directions:

1. In a large non stick wok, sauté the onions for 6-7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two. Add a little water if needed to prevent sticking.

2. Add the vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, drained corn and black beans and stir. Add the seasonings except the lime juice and taste test. Adjust seasonings if desired.

3. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Add lime juice and stir.

5. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve.

What’s your favorite pairing for plant-based black bean soup?

SkinnyMs Plant-Based Quinoa with Black Beans (Vegan)

November 13, 2013 by Veronica Grace 12 Comments

I have a wonderful quinoa and black beans recipe to share today from SkinnyMs.com! Quinoa is a perfect substitute for traditional ‘Rice & Beans’ and it cooks much faster too. If you’ve been skeptical of trying quinoa in the past and are not sure just what to pair it with, this is a great recipe for you to try as seasoned quinoa is very tasty and better than a bland and boring side. I love how quick this one pot meal is to throw together and it’s a perfect lunch or mid week dinner recipe.

Are you crunched for time, on a tight budget or just starving for healthy meal ideas? You will find delicious, healthy choices for you and your family at SkinnyMs.com. Skinny Ms. offers recipes made with natural, whole food ingredients. At Skinny Ms., we are devoted to providing information and tools that empower one to make choices beneficial to living a healthy lifestyle. For our latest recipes, join us on Facebook.

If you are a quinoa hold out but love Mexican food, this dish will convince to make quinoa a regular part of your dinner menu. Skinny Quinoa with Black Beans is gluten free and vegetarian friendly.

Skinny Quinoa with Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup quinoa (uncooked), rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Kosher or sea salt to taste
1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth, low sodium

Directions:

Heat a large skillet to medium-low heat and sauté diced onions until tender (add water or broth if needed to prevent sticking), about 4 minutes, add garlic and sauté one additional minute. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed above. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low boil and cook 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow it to sit 5 minutes covered before serving. Fluff quinoa with a large spoon and serve.

Nutritional Data

This recipe was edited to omit the 1 TBSP of olive oil originally present in order to be in line with my reader’s interests.

Thanks to SkinnyMs.com for sharing this recipe with my readers!