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21 Confessions From Plant Based U’s Veronica Grace

December 14, 2014 by Veronica Grace 3 Comments

21 Confessions by Veronica Grace

1. I do not actually consider myself a chef, nor do I claim to have any culinary training. I am sell taught, having lived and traveled to some remote areas and had to rely on making my own raw and vegan recipes for myself and others. Ever since I was very young I have always been in the kitchen though. I loved to eat and once I figured out I could bake my own goodies and make my own lunch I was in love with food. I like to eat and so I often find a healthier way to make what I’m craving or something intriguing I wanted to try. I have a little over 4 years of experience since I quit doing office work and started being a homemaker and opening my own business online. I also watch a lot of Food Network, most shows actually lol. So the term chef is used loosely, I’m more of a hands on teacher.

2. My family were quite apprehensive of eating my recipes and not very interested until I started making recipes for my first 2 cooked recipe ebooks Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm and Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World. For the most part I would say they enjoy my recipes now lol. Now they enjoy eating more plant based because they have had some tasty recipes.

3. I’ve never been a vegetarian. I’ve gone straight from SAD (standard eating) to raw vegan twice and to whole food vegan/plant based. I never did much care for dairy and gave up cheese a long time ago back in my calorie counting days! (Cheese is extremely high in calories and fat and I gave it up on those merits alone.) I also have never successfully cooked a real omelette. Vegan omelettes though I can do!

4. I hate spicy food… Really, if it’s spicy, I’d prefer it not be spicy at all. I’m just not used to it. I used to not even be able to tolerate mild to medium spicy food. Only in the past few years have I grown accustomed to some spice in my food from Thai and Indian cuisine. That’s why I always say chilis and chili powder is optional in my recipes because some people like their food much spicier than me and some not at all. In my world all would be fine without spicy chilis… I will not however give up my smoked paprika, cuz that’s not spicy, it’s just smokey and delicious!

5. I would probably put mushrooms in every cooked recipe if I could. I love mushrooms that much. You may have noticed from some of my recipes such as Deluxe Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna, Fettuccine Alfredo with Spinach and Mushrooms, Rotini Marinara with Mushrooms, Portobello Bean Burritos, Gourmet Cream of Mushroom Soup, Deluxe Dijon Tofu Scramble and more. But not everyone likes mushrooms as much as I do, so unfortunately I can’t put them in everything….

6. My 3 secret spices are roasted cumin, smoked paprika, and Herbmare (an herb seasoned salt). You can pretty much put them into any recipe and make 2 out of 3 of those work. Roasted cumin goes well in Latin and Indian dishes and smoked paprika can be added as a garnish or a flavor enhancer to almost anything. Instead of salt I like to use Herbamare as it also has some herbs in it which give a nice flavor if you’re the type that like just a little surface sprinkle of salt to your dishes.

7. I don’t drink alcohol. At all. Zilch. I have no idea what wine goes best with my recipes, so don’t ask! LOL. I have used wine in maybe 3 recipes from time to time for flavor, but that’s about it.

8. I stay home a lot…. like most of the time. I’m kind of a hermit, people don’t see me very often. I’m always at home working, cooking or cleaning. Usually I only leave to get groceries or get the mail. I should probably be more social at my age… hmm

9. I used to really dislike tofu. I used to try to avoid tofu because I “heard” it wasn’t good for you, but have since learned there’s no problem eating soy in moderation, especially if it’s minimally processed and organic. See The Truth About Soy. (I just avoid soy protein isolates as they are a processed food). Now I enjoy smoked tofu in stir fries, pressed tofu in my tofu scrambles, and silken tofu in my Alfredo sauce and my vegetable lasagnas. Soft tofu plain in Asian dishes is not my favorite, but I’ll still eat it once in a while!

10. When I don’t feel like cooking I’ll eat a giant bowl of sliced up fruit or a green smoothie. It’s also a great time saver as it doesn’t produce a lot of dirty dishes. (Fruit has more calories than salad or vegetables so I find it more sustaining than just having a salad on it’s own)

11. I actually don’t enjoy eating raw tomatoes or bell peppers… Ketchup, tomato sauce and (mild) salsa are fine, but plain fresh tomatoes in a salad or a sandwich/burger is not for me, I pick them out and just don’t eat them. Bell peppers I can tolerate if cooked, but if I’m making something just for me I won’t use them. I use bell peppers a lot in my cuisine because they are pretty, healthy and most people like them! Growing up we never used these foods and we never got used to eating them. I have made great progress, it’s not a mental thing it’s just a taste. I wish I liked them more but I don’t. My younger sister still won’t eat any of them! (She still avoids tomato sauce too.)

12. I never ate beans, lentils or eggplant until about 5 years ago. Aside from kidney beans in chili and refried beans in burritos we never ate beans growing up. The first time I had lentils was in a recipe I made and I was always afraid of eating eggplant because some people don’t like it. But beans, lentils and eggplant are probably my top favorite foods to eat because they are so versatile, they absorb the flavors of whatever spices you use and they fill out your recipes making them look and feel heartier.

13. I cannot stand to eat olives or olive oil! The taste totally grosses me out, even if it’s “high quality” nope. I will not eat olives, nor can I enjoy anything drizzled in olive oil. Total gag factor. I really do make my Greek and Italian cuisine without olive oil too. I’ve also never ordered a vegetarian special pizza because it comes with all kinds of things like black olives, peppers and raw tomatoes that don’t do it for me. What’s on my vegan pizza? LOTS of mushrooms, pineapple, spinach, caramelized onions, garlic and sometimes tempeh, smoked tofu or artichoke hearts (packed in water.)

14. I had never had real Indian food until about 5 years ago. I had avoided it because I heard it was spicy and assumed I wouldn’t like any of it. (How sad!) Now I love Indian food and could probably eat it every day. I still prefer making my own that way it’s oil and dairy free (for sure) and I can make it less spicy! He he.

15. I first got interested in cooking through baking. As a kid I was addicted to sugar, candy and baked goods and I loved making things myself (you know, for instant gratification). Now I hardly ever bake. Why? #1. If I make it I will probably eat all of it… or most of it… #2 flour and sugar aren’t health food or necessary for every day recipes and #3. oil free baking isn’t as nice. You can do it… but where do you draw the line? It’s low in fat, but then full of sugar and flour and still not really health food. So I prefer fruit for the most part. Except if it has chocolate, then I might want a bite…

16. I don’t actually cook from scratch every single day. I’m just like everyone else, I get busy with work, house cleaning and errands too. If I cooked scratch every day 3 meals a day and still had to work on top of that I might die of exhaustion… so I try to space it out. I like to make a lot of double meals that way there is leftovers for lunch or another quick meal. I cook brown rice and beans in large quantities as it’s nice to have on hand in the fridge or freezer when I’m short on time.

17. Sometimes I wish I could keep things simple, buy far less groceries than I do and just eat the same thing every day and not have so many different ingredients (you don’t want to see my cupboards… really.) But I do like to try new things and learn new recipes and techniques so I can share them with you.

18. I don’t only cook my own recipes all the time. Although I really do like many of my recipes after I know it’s good I move on and create a new recipe, as there are far too many dishes I will never get to try for me to settle on cooking from my own recipe books every week.

19. I think I’m the only one in my family that loves green peas and split peas. And I mean love! I can eat green peas raw out of the pod or just steamed in a giant bowl with a little salt. I love split pea soup and Kik Alicha (Ethiopian Split Pea Stew). I will never get tired of eating peas. My mom and sister however avoid them like the plague and are horrified by how much I love them lol. Sad…

20. I’m not very good at taking care of plants. If it can go a week or two without being watered, then it should be safe. This is why I don’t buy flowers, don’t plant flowers and don’t have many ornamental plants. If it’s not food related it’s hard for me to keep track of it’s life cycle!

21. I do this because I really like teaching and helping people help themselves and not for the money. I only make it pay check to pay check just like everyone else and most of what I create and share is free. I often care too much about others and seeing people around me suffering is very hard for me and I feel compelled to make a difference. If I can help someone try a new food, learn how to prepare something healthy, enjoy a new recipes or get some confidence in the kitchen where they had none before it really makes me feel good about what I do.

And there’s my little list! I’m sure you learned some new things about me. What are some of your little confessions?

How To Make Thanksgiving Vegan or Plant Based and Still Enjoy It

November 6, 2014 by Veronica Grace Leave a Comment

Our Thanksgiving is already long gone in Canada, but I saved this post for my American readers as many of you have a hard time deciding on what to make and spend a lot of time worrying if your guests or family can survive a meal without turkey or ham on a big holiday. Lol. Well never fear I can help give you some ideas for filling out your plant based Thanksgiving menu with ease.

I make everything from scratch and find that whipping up mashed potatoes and mashed yams/sweet potatoes an absolute BREEZE in my pressure cooker. I actually have 2 now, one is an EZ Bean Cooker pressure cooker that I can set manually for cooking anything else other than beans as well, so I fill one with potatoes, one with yams and then I don’t have to sacrifice stove top space and watch the pot. This is a huge time saver and I use my pressure cooker every holiday to makes my potato recipes.

A few things I’ll mention, I actually forgot about making stuffing this year as I focus more on making my lentil loaf recipe, stuffed peppers and mashed potatoes. No one seemed to mind though and having an alternative side of Greek Stuffed Peppers was actually a healthier option than traditional stuffing. The other thing is that I ran out of pecans and didn’t have any for my mashed yams but they were still delicious none-the-less. I also just realized that this Thanksgiving dinner was essentially gluten-free as well so everyone with dietary restrictions can enjoy it! And best of all we had so much leftovers for the rest of the week it was SO nice not having to cook each day. (As my lentil loaf recipe makes 2 loaves and I made a double batch of gravy!)

Here are my favorite veganized Thanksgiving dishes to share with you since many of you will be dining plant based or trying to dine mostly plant based this year and still feeding some carnivores too! All of these recipes have been tested on my family and their non vegan friends, so I assure you they are crowd pleasers. 🙂

Some of these recipes are featured in my blog, and some are in my recipe cookbook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World has loads more delicious and hearty entree recipes for every occasion.

Vegan Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

Raw Vegan Salads:

The Best Caesar Salad

Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad

Vegan Thanksgiving Entrees:

Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Holiday Stuffed Acorn Squash

Greek Stuffed Eggplant

Herbed Lentil Loaf with Miso Gravy

Greek Stuffed Peppers

Vegan Side Dishes:

Holiday Baked Maple Yam Pecan Casserole

Cranberry Apple Pecan Holiday Stuffing

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy

Steamed Vegetables In Cheezy Sauce

Tangy Collard Greens in Coconut Milk

Vegan Decadent Desserts (These are not low fat):

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

(mine was based on this recipe here, I skipped the oil and t I put it in a pre made graham cracker crumb to save on time and added more spices to my tastes)

Holiday Vegan Pecan Pie

Vegan Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote

Vegan Lower Fat Desserts:

Fudgey Black Berry Brownies

Vegan Rice Pudding

Apple Strawberry Strudel Pie

There are lots of delicious and healthy recipes to choose from. I hope that I included some of your favourites or gave you some inspiration to try something new. 🙂

So if these goodies entice you be sure to check out my book Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World and grab it before Thanksgiving is here! (Available in digital and physical format.)

What are you looking forward to having for Thanksgiving this year?

Plant Based U’s Favorites for 2014 By Veronica Grace

October 21, 2014 by Veronica Grace 3 Comments

Low Fat Vegan Chef’s Favorites for 2014

Here I will share some of my well known and new favorites that I want to rave about. Do any of my favorites make your list this year?

Favorite Kitchen Appliance:

EZ Bean Cooker (Great for ALL pressure cooker style recipes and not just beans) See my video demonstration here I use my pressure cooker a lot, I even have two! Mashed potatoes, mashed yams, vegetable broth, beans, lentils, and soups can all be made very easily in this digital and safe to use pressure cooker. Simply add your dry ingredients, add sufficient water and spices, turn the lid to the locked position and use the auto program for beans, or manual timer for other recipes and voila! Cooking is a breeze.

Favorite Kitchen Gadgets:

Benriner Mandolin Slicer Mandolins are great to use when you don’t have a food processor or a gourmet knife and want to make quick slaws, salads, potato chips and more!

OR get even fancier and make shoestring potatoes, zucchini noodles, or carrot and beet curls with the Benriner Turning Slicer I love making vegetable curls to add to salads and tacos. Everyone loves how pretty they look and and are always impressed.

Favorite Seasoning:

McCormick Smoked Paprika I use smoked paprika in all my Mexican, Tex-Mex, Indian and even some Italian dishes for a more interesting flavor. If you’ve never had it before, you have to try it. I do not like regular paprika at all, but I love the sweet smokey flavor of smoked paprika and find it livens up all my favourite recipes.

Favorite Recipe Ingredient:

Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes make every other canned tomato jealous, and for good reason. These slightly sweet smokey tomatoes are a great base for pasta sauces, curries, soups, stews and chillis. I always buy them in bulk to make sure I have them on hand and find every recipe tastes better when I use these over plain tomatoes.

Favorite Organic Skincare Line:

My friend Annmarie Gianni makes these delicious and almost entirely edible skin care products that are organic and wild crafted. No harmful chemicals, parabens, sulfates or harsh cleansers here just delicious smelling skin rejuvenating cleansers and creams. Available in normal, dry and anti aging formulas for all ages. Get a sample kit of YOUR choice for only $10 including free worldwide shipping!

Favorite Supplement Brand:

Dr. Fuhrman’s Supplements are premium, whole food formulations that are not only safe, but highly effective as well. Many traditional store bought supplements contain too much folic acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Selenium, Iron and Copper. Dr. Fuhrman’s formulations are non-GMO and contain only the safest amounts of the recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals with some having the added benefit of Vitamin D3 which many vegans lack.

Favorite Blog Recipe:

Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheezy is probably my top blog recipe because cheese lovers and vegans alike can rejoice in this healthier whole food version of their old favorite. I’ve made this recipe so many times I can’t even count, and it’s one of my family’s favorites too. (Psst. It also uses smoked paprika hint hint!)

Favorite Current Plant Based Recipe Book:

Eat To Live Cookbook by Dr. Fuhrman This book contains over 200 easy to follow recipes, goes over the basics of what not to eat and what to eat more of, and introduces you into the world of making your own dressings and sauces. I find this approach very appealing because it is how I learned to season and taste test recipes and adjust them to my liking. I was doing this before I even knew about Dr. Furhman so I find this wonderful that we both like to cook the same way and build recipes to taste from fresh ingredients.

Favorite NEW Plant Based Book:

Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by Dr. T. Colin Campbell (also the author of the world-famous China Study) is a great read for those who are often confused if their current diet really is enough to live a long healthy life. If you want to know more about why a whole food plant based diet isn’t the norm and how to stand up to naysayers then this book is for you.

Favorite Plant Based Blog:

FatFreeVegan.com is one of the original oil free plant based blogs and is probably already on your list of go to recipes and food porn. But just incase it isn’t on your radar yet, please check it out. I had the pleasure of meeting Susan in person at a Vida Vegan Con event and it was nice to spend sometime with a link minded lady in a world of tempting high fat vegan treats. 🙂

Favorite Other Blog Recipe:

Lentil and Cauliflower Rice Tacos by Susan Voisin You have to check this out, she is a master at making cauliflower taste delicious and your taste buds will be dancing with this recipe!

Favorite Vegetarian Restaurant in Canada:

Nourish Bistro is hands down my favourite vegetarian restaurant because it is so incredibly unique in flavor. Everything they make is handmade, often local and very seasonal but that’s not even a primary reason for me to love it. They use whole foods such as fruit, nuts, seeds and sprouts to flavor and garnish all of their unique dishes so it’s not like anything you’ve ever had before. They have strawberries and beans on their nachos and burritos and ground cherries and sprouts on their curries. Everything is beautiful and they’ve been slowly growing a following over the past decade, they are even now the #1 tourist restaurant in Banff. If you ever get the chance, please go and let the owners know Veronica sent you. 🙂 (I’ve also been bugging them to put together a recipe book for years as well!)

Favorite Vegetarian Restaurant in the USA:

Natural Selection in Portland is my favourite US based restaurant because it’s the kind of cuisine that I would never make myself at home and is a luxurious treat once in a while. The menu changes weekly and the head chef Aaron Woo truly cares about his craft. Although not totally vegan, they always have vegan and gluten free options. My next runner up is Millennium in San Francisco where you can get a truly fine dining experience all meat free and feel like a celebrity.

Favorite Vegan Friendly Travel Destination:

Chiang Mai, Thailand has a large Buddhist, Expat and University population for this moderately sized city. It’s very easy to eat fresh fruit and vegetable dishes at the street markets on the go and some of my favorite snacks were: fresh pineapple slices, peeled pink pommelo (sweeter than grapefruit), jackfruit, durian and Thai coconuts. There’s also an abundance of vegetarian (mostly vegan) restaurants around the city as well as numerous places to take Thai vegetarian cooking classes. There’s also an annual 9 day vegetarian festival every October which means many local vendors make all their food vegetarian and skip the meat as well. I highly recommend putting Chiang Mai on your bucket list of vegetarian travel adventures!

What are your favorite dishes, ingredients, gadgets, restaurants and travel destinations?

How To Make Your Own Raw Almond Milk in a Vitamix

September 14, 2014 by Veronica Grace 1 Comment

Almond milk is something that many people use nowadays, whether they are vegan or have dairy allergies. Sure you can buy some (non raw) almond milk at the store for your smoothies or cooking, but there’s likely going to be sugar, preservatives and other additives and synthetic stuff in it as well. While it is convenient to use pre made almond milk, it’s not a good idea to base your whole diet on processed packaged foods.

It’s very easy to make at home, and most cost effective if you enjoy using almond pulp in recipes like raw bars, cookies, crackers, or drying it out to use for almond flour. This raw almond milk is great for using in raw smoothies, raw banana ice-cream and raw dressings.

This low fat almond milk is also a nice pretty white colour and not browny tinged from additives like processed almond milk! Beautiful.

How To Make Raw Vegan Almond Milk in A Blender

Ingredients:

1 cup of whole shelled almonds
soaking water to cover almonds
4 cups filtered water (for making milk)

Required tools:

Container to soak almonds
Medium metal mesh strainer/nut milk bag
Vitamix or blender

Directions:

1. Soak almonds in a bowl or container with enough water to cover and let sit overnight, around 8 hours.

2. Drain and rinse the almonds. Place into Vitamix or blender with 4 cups of filtered water. Blend for about 45 seconds to a minute on high. Just until all the almonds are in tiny pieces and it’s frothy.

3. Get out 3 medium bowls or containers if you’re using a mesh strainer, or 2 for a nut milk bag. Hold your mesh strainer or nut milk bagover one of the bowls and pour the almond mixture slowly into it. Fill up the strainer and then use a spoon to push the liquid down from the pulp, for a nut milk bag pour the almond milk through it and squeeze the liquid out of the pulp with one hand while you hold it up. Place the extra pulp in one of the bowls if you want to save it for later. If you have a nut milk bag can also hang it up above the bowl and let it drain if you’re tired of squeezing. This will take a while. If using a metal strainer, keep filling it up with almond mixture and filtering the pulp from the milk with your spoon and set the pulp aside. Rinsing your strainer in between each filter will make it easier to strain and get rid of the little pieces stuck to it.

4. After you have filtered your almond milk once, you may want to filter the whole thing once more with a nut milk bag or a few more times with a metal strainer for the smoothest almond milk. Place your filter over the last clean bowl and pour your filtered almond milk over it. You should see some froth and a little pulp being filtered out the second time. Rinse your other bowl and strainer and filter back and forth until your almond milk is smooth to your liking. I do this a few times for the smoothest milk.

5. Once you’re done you can store the almond milk in the fridge. Depending what you want to do with it you can leave it plain, or blend in a date and some vanilla for sweet almond milk.

I leave mine plain so I can use it for things like banana ice-cream, chia “tapioca” pudding, smoothie base, dressing base etc. I just add pitted dates or vanilla to the recipe if I need a sweet milk.

Best used within 3 days as this is a “raw” and unpasteurized product it will separate and can start growing bacteria. Stir or shake gently before using. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

How To Store Fresh Herbs for Plant Based Recipes

May 27, 2014 by Veronica Grace 1 Comment

Fresh herbs are WONDERFUL to use in every day recipes, but not all of us have them on hand and even when we do they sometimes (or often) go to waste or are only partially used.

I love using fresh herbs in my recipes and if you don’t already have a backyard garden or a windowsill garden of herbs, here are some ways you can ensure you always have fresh herbs and use all that you buy without letting any go to waste.

Choosing and Storing Fresh Herbs

Leafy Herbs: Cilantro, Parsley, Dill, Mint, Basil, Tarragon, Chives

Choose herbs that are bright, crisp and fragrant. Avoid any that have wilted or slimy parts.

Store herbs either placed in a damp paper towel in a sealed bag in the fridge, or snip the ends, remove any dead pieces and place in a few inches of fresh water (be sure to not let the leaves sit in the water or they will rot). Change the water daily and store away from sunlight. Rinse and pat dry just before use for best results.

Hardy Herbs: Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Marjoram, Sage, Savory

Store herbs dry and loose in a paper bag in the fridge, in a few inches of water away from sunlight, tie them and hang them upside down to dry, or dry them in a dehydrator.

Neat Trick: Chop your fresh herbs finely and place into ice cube trays, fill with water or vegetable broth and freeze. Pop them out of the tray once fully frozen and seal in a large freezer bag. Drop them into soups, stews, chopped onions or mushrooms, or pasta sauces as needed. It’s a great way to always have fresh herbs on hand without wasting any!

*Also check out these herb-savers you can put in the fridge and keep your herbs fresh and leafy for up to 2 weeks and other herbaceous gadgets 🙂

Cuisinepro Herb Keeper ~$20

OXO Soft Works Salad and Herb Spinner ~$25 – My favourite salad spinner. Just push and spin! Quite fun 🙂

Zyliss FastCut Herb Mincer ~$17

RSVP Herb Scissors ~$10

What are your favourite fresh herbs to use?

Creamy Vegan Avocado Dill Baby Potato Salad (Plant Based and Oil Free)

February 16, 2014 by Veronica Grace 13 Comments

Plant Based Avocado Dill Potato Salad Vegan Oil Free

Sometimes you get a craving for a creamy salad, especially potato salad – but how do you make it creamy and whole food based at the same time? Simple! I switch out the vegan mayo (not a condiment I use in my kitchen!) and substitute a fresh ripe avocado and mash it up and season my vegan potato salad it just like I would any other.

Except that my version is ultimately tastier than what you’re probably used to. I like to give it more kick and I up the seasonings in it so it’s truly a dish you can enjoy on it’s own or pair with a light soup or wrap. This recipe is also oil free, soy free, gluten free and nut free as well so it’s great for allergy friendly households.

So get ready to try the best plant based potato salad you’ve never had! And please tell me how much you enjoyed it once you have 🙂

Vegan Avocado Dill Potato Salad

Serves 4-6 side servings

Ingredients:

2 lbs/908 g small baby red skinned potatoes (or other potato of choice)
3 stalks celery, trimmed and sliced
1/2 white onion sliced and diced
1 Large ripe avocado (should be soft and give to pressure)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp honey, maple syrup or liquid sweetener *optional to balance the acidity in the lemon and spiciness in the mustard
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon herbamare or salt *or to taste as desired
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup dill, packed and then chopped
1/2 bunch green onions/spring onions, sliced (top green parts only)

Directions:

1. Wash potatoes and cut out any bad spots or eyes.
2. Steam, or pressure cook the potatoes gently until they are just fork tender through the centre, but al dente. Immediately run the potatoes under cold water to prevent from cooking further.
3. For best results, refrigerate cooked potatoes for about an hour until cool. (This ensures they don’t fall apart when slicing)
4. Quarter the potatoes and peel if desired.
5. Peel and mash the avocado in a small bowl. Add lemon juice, and seasonings (except fresh herbs) and stir into avocado to create a dressing.
6. Turn potatoes into a large bowl. Add the fresh herbs and avocado dressing. Toss gently until everything is coated. Taste test and adjust seasonings if desired.
7. Serve or refrigerate until needed. Best consumed same day, or next day (as the avocado changes color and breaks down quickly)

What’s your favorite addition to potato salad and what type of potatoes do you like to use?

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?

Real Organic Natural Skin Care by Annmarie Gianni

November 2, 2013 by Veronica Grace 2 Comments

Normally, I talk about what you put IN your body and how it affects your health. As you may (or may not know) I have experimented a lot with health in what I put in my body until I found what worked for me.

But today, I wanted to talk about what you put ON your body. The reason why is that some research has shown the the body can absorb up to 2-4 pounds of what is put on it! This is why natural skin care products — real, truly honest products are essential to use.

How do you know if they’re real and honest?

That’s the tricky part. Labeling and truthfulness in the skin care product market is almost non-existent. Chemical ingredients can be added and are not required to be put on the label in many countries around the world. So, essentially, your “natural” and “organic” skin care line could have nasty ingredients in it without you knowing.

I have very sensitive skin, and I live in an extremely dry climate. My skin tends to feel angry, dry, itchy and oily all at the same time…. I know not very fun

to deal with! Yuck.

In my own search, I came across Annmarie Skincare (who graciously let me try a bunch of samples before I started buying full sized products.) It was founded

a few years ago by Annmarie Gianni — the name might be familiar since she’s the wife of Kevin Gianni from RenegadeHealth.com

Annmarie is well known for her award winning natural, organic skin care line. Other healthnotables like Mike Adams, Kris Carr, Donna Gates (and now me) have raved about her company’s products.

Annmarie, because of her position in the industry, has seen some pretty sketchy things and has made it her company’s mission to speak out against the skin care industry and their dirty secrets to help you understand that even your “organic lines” may not be as clean as you’d like.

And, of course, their products are full of high quality ingredients and absolutely no chemical nastiness.

So if you know what you’re using probably isn’t the cleanest, or you’re looking to try something different, or need to start up with something that you can feel confident about and trust, Annmarie offered to offer you an opportunity to try these amazing products.

Annmarie has put together 5 special sample kits that include some of her best selling products. These are for oily, normal, dry, combination and mature skin.

Everything is natural, organic, chemical and paraben free – ONLY good quality ingredients go into crafting these products.

The kits are $10 each, but when you order one (or more) you get a $10.00 off coupon that you can use for a future purchase. So basically, if you like the sample kit and you want to buy a full sized product, your kit is essentially free.

On top of that, Annmarie is offering FREE shipping for these kits — anywhere in the world!

So for $10, you can try these amazing products, have them shipped to you for free, and get a $10 off coupon.

Here’s where you can go now if you want one of these kits now…

http://www.annmariegianni.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=1445_0_1_6

On this page, you also can read Annmarie’s story, watch a video of her, and see dozens of testimonials from happy Annmarie customers.

Finally, Annmarie’s team only has a limited number of kits available, so make sure you head over there fast, since once they’re sold out they have to hand-fill more which will take a few weeks to get them back in stock.

Here’s where to go now…

http://www.annmariegianni.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=1445_0_1_6

Don’t wait! These sample packs go really fast and I don’t want you to miss out. 🙂