Cooked Vegan Recipes

Plant-Based Broccoli Mushroom Rotini Casserole (Vegan Pasta)

September 15, 2013 by Veronica Grace 17 Comments

I had some leftover broccoli florets and mushrooms in the fridge I needed to use up and thought of baking them into pasta casserole. Then I thought, what if I were to chop these up super super small and HID them in a cheezy sauce? Then I would have a fantastic recipe for those who have a hard time getting their children or spouses to eat their vegetables!

So that’s why this recipe was designed and it’s not quite as indulgent as just pasta in cheezy sauce. It has some delicious veggies hiding in it too!

I like to use rotini pasta because the spirals hold onto the sauce and really grab it, plus it has a nice texture to it too. I recommend following these directions, but if you don’t have a food processor you can chop the veggies into very very small pieces instead so they don’t overwhelm the pasta. Also make sure not to use too much broccoli or you will end up with a more pungent pasta creation (as broccoli contains sulfur it can be strong smelling).

So give this healthy pasta bake a try and let me know what you think!

Vegan Broccoli Mushroom Pasta Bake

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 cuo/150 grams of broccoli
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
3 large cloves of garlic
16 oz. whole wheat rotini, elbows or spirals
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Paprika to garnish
White pepper to garnish
Herbamare or salt to garnish

Cheezy Sauce:

2 cups almond milk
1/4 cup cashews
1 large clove of garlic
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
5 tsp Genmai brown rice miso paste
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp smoked paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt if desired. Cook rotini or spirals for about 6 minutes just until al dente. (Do not overcook)

2. Pulse, broccoli, mushrooms, onions and garlic separately in a food processor (unless you have a very large one) until broken into tiny pieces. Add to a large wok or sauté pan and cook for 7 minutes until soft. Add a little water or vegetable broth as necessary to cook.

3. Blend cheezy sauce ingredients in a blender and taste test. Adjust seasonings if desired with more salt and pepper or smoked paprika.

4. Drain rotini and add to sauté pan and pour sauce over (or combine in a large pot if you don’t have a lot of room). Toss to coat.

5. Pour into a large casserole pan. Top with panko breadcrumbs and smoked paprika.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

7. Serve and enjoy!

Additional Tips:

This recipe is best served fresh, but if you need to reheat it rebake it or else the panko bread crumbs will be mushy.

Have you ever made a plant-based baked pasta casserole before? What do you put in it?

Plant-Based Soy Curls, Squash and Kale Soba Noodles in Peanut Sauce

September 8, 2013 by Veronica Grace 9 Comments

This plant-based peanut soba noodle dish is a recipe I decided on making after rummaging through my dried goods and freezer. I had bought a package of soba noodles so long ago I don’t remember when and I thought, you know I haven’t made any vegan Asian noodle dishes since my Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodle Salad (which is omg delicious btw). So I started looking online for something with noodles and butternut squash and I found this recipe online by Bryanna Clark Grogan of Vegan Feast Kitchen which is not really what I made, but it gave me the idea of putting butternut squash with kale, noodles and peanut sauce. Yum! 🙂

I decided to make this recipe lower in fat and steamed the butternut squash and kale (instead of roasting in oil) and I used a lower amount of peanut butter for my sauce. I also added some Soy Curls to it which actually make it taste a little like chicken noodle salad. Soy Curls are made from non-GMO soy and are really easy to make. Just soak in water to rehydrate and sauté in a pan with seasonings. It’s totally optional for this recipe, you can choose to use some tofu or tempeh instead if you like.

Feel free to use any kind of noodle you like, green or starch. This soba noodle recipe is very versatile and I’m sure you can come up with lots of variations to make use of what you have on hand. Scroll down for the recipe!

SoyCurlSquashPeanutSobaNoodles (2)

Vegan Soy Curl, Squash and Kale Soba Noodles in Peanut Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup Soy Curls/1 package smoked tofu/1 package tempeh
1 9.7 oz/ 275 g package buckwheat soba noodles (I used Organic Sweet Potato & Buckwheat Noodles) or other egg free noodles
1 bunch of kale, de stemmed and cut into bite sized pieces
12 oz/340g package cubed butternut squash or 1 lb peeled and cubed (or 1 large sweet potato/yam peeled and diced)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame seeds to garnish *optional

Plant-Based Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 tbsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
1-2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or gluten free tamari *or to taste
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp Sriracha or other hot chili sauce *or to taste

Directions:

1. Soak Soy Curls in warm water with a little salt and garlic powder or no salt seasoning if desired.
2. Blend sauce ingredients together
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
4. Next water sauté or use low sodium vegetable broth to cook kale, squash and Soy Curls (or tofu or tempeh) in a large skillet or wok. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper as desired.
5. Meanwhile, cook noodles in pot of water according to directions on package and drain in a colander and set aside.
6. In a large bowl or pot toss the noodles with the blended sauce and plate. Garnish with sautéed kale, squash and Soy Curls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or Gomaiso if desired.
7. Serve.

I hope you try this delicious recipe! What’s your favorite asian noodle dish? Do you make anything at home?

Plant-Based Chocolate Banana Cream Pie – Oh My! (Dairy-Free and Vegan!)

September 1, 2013 by Veronica Grace 20 Comments

Ok so you may or may not know but I try not to make desserts very often! You see I don’t like to tempt myself by keeping things like this in the house as I used to be addicted to candy and baked goods as a kid. But occasionally I make desserts for special occasions or for guests and I came up with a healthier version of one of my favorites. Chocolate banana cream pie.

You see plain old banana cream pie doesn’t do it for me… no, no I like to coat the crust in a little melted dark chocolate and drizzle some on top for good measure. But this is a special treat! I don’t eat chocolate every day and certainly not desserts.

Here’s what the final product looks all sliced up and pretty!

I also made a coconut milk whipped creme to top it off with as well, but this is optional. If you are looking for a lower fat dessert you can certainly skip the coconut milk whipped cream. I have never made coconut whipped creme before so I wanted to try my hand at it. Turns out it helps to actually own egg beaters! (which I don’t… hah) So mine ended up being a little flat and not really whipped… but it still tasted great nonetheless. So I recommend using egg beaters (the kitchen tool not the product!) to make whipped cream.

Ok so now I’m going to show you how you can make a basic banana cream pie with fresh ripe bananas, almond milk and vanilla pudding. Then I’ll give you the option of using dark chocolate and/or coconut whipped cream. That means you can totally choose how to build your banana cream pie to your tastes and dietary needs. So if you are on a strict diet don’t throttle me please! This is a special occasions recipe and sometimes you want to blow your guests away with a totally vegan and plant based treat.

Compared to the original non vegan recipe this is definitely “reduced in guilt”. 🙂

There’s a new print function installed on the blog, click the print icon at the top of the post and you can edit the text to print and remove the photos if you like as well.

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

Serves 8-10 (depending how big the slices are)

Pie Ingredients:

1 graham cracker pie crust (look to see if it contains honey- if concerned, many don’t)
3 oz. semi sweet baking chocolate (dairy free)
3 bananas, ripe
2 cups almond milk or other non dairy milk
1 package vanilla pudding mix (not instant the stovetop kind)

Coconut Whipped Cream Ingredients *optional

1 can coconut milk (regular, not light)
2-3 teaspoons maple syrup or confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder

Chocolate Drizzle Ingredients *optional

1 oz semi sweet baking chocolate (dairy free)

Pie Assembly Directions:

1. Remove graham cracker crust lid. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

2. With a spatula carefully spread chocolate mixture over crust, gently dragging it up the sides. Set crust in refrigerator to harden.
3. When chocolate is firm, slice one of the bananas and place half of it on the bottom of the crust. Reserve the other half banana.
4. Blend 2 remaining bananas with 2 cups almond milk in a blender. Add to a saucepan with vanilla pudding mix and cook as directed on package. This makes the vanilla pudding turn into banana pudding with no artificial flavors. (Bring to a boil over medium to medium high heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils.)

5. When thickened pour into pie crust and cool until chilled and set.

If you want the lowest fat version, stop here and serve as is without coconut whipped cream and chocolate drizzle

6. Garnish top of pie with remaining banana slices. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until set.
7. If desired top with coconut whipped creme and chocolate drizzle, or serve as is for a lower fat version. Instructions below.

Coconut Whipped Cream Directions:
1. Place the can of coconut milk in refrigerator for 6-8 hours, or in freezer for 3-4 hours until really really cold.
2. Place metal bowl and egg beaters or immersion blender stick in freezer for a few minutes.
3. Remove the can of coconut milk from the freezer and turn upside down. Open the can and pour off coconut water. (reserve for another recipe such as a smoothie!)
4. Remove the bowl from the freezer and scoop out the coconut cream with a spatula and add it to the chilled bowl.
5. Whip cream until light and fluffy. Add maple syrup or vanilla extract if desired. Whip again until combined.
6. Garnish or serve.

Chocolate Drizzle Directions
1. In a microwave safe bowl melt chocolate (1-1/2 minutes on high).
2. Drizzle over pie or dessert and serve.

Have you ever had chocolate banana cream pie before? Have you ever made a vegan pie at home?

My Top 10 Most Frequently Made Low Fat Plant Based Recipes

August 27, 2013 by Veronica Grace 7 Comments

I’ve been doing some list making over the past few weeks as you might have noticed because a lot of you are finding it really helpful to have a bigger picture overview for tools, gadgets and easy recipes. I like being helpful so this is fun for me sharing my top 10 favorite fast vegan recipes with you as well! 🙂

I don’t cook fancy all the time, in fact most of the time I’m just like everyone else and want to get a healthy meal on the table quickly. So I’ve compiled a little list of the top recipes I fall back on when I don’t know what else to make, or am running low on new or “exotic” ingredients. I usually have all the staples necessary for these recipes on hand and it makes it easy for me to make again and again.

Sometimes I don’t follow the amounts of vegetables or seasonings exactly each time and season to taste as it’s easier than measuring everything out. So I wanted to share with you what I make when I can’t think or don’t have time to think of coming up with something new.

Most of these are dinner recipes but there’s a few you can use for breakfast or lunch as well.

Let me know if I picked any of your favorites!

1. Red Lentil Tarka Dal

I really love this curry because it’s so fresh and flavorful and doesn’t require any fresh vegetables. So I make this when I’m down to things like onions, ginger and garlic and if I’m lucky I have some left over cilantro in the fridge. This dal is super simple and you basically only need red split lentils, canned or fresh tomatoes and water or vegetable broth and Indian spices. I serve it with Basmati or brown rice. It’s truly a delicious fat free meal.

2. Rotini Marinara with Vegetables

Once upon a time I bought this giant box of whole wheat rotini from Costco and I STILL am eating from the same package. Buying 1 box of pasta at Costco pretty much negates needing to buy any more or any other kind of pasta for a long time lol, so every week or two I make rotini marinara or pasta primavera with fresh or frozen vegetables. It’s really nice to mix it up and use whatever I have left and it never gets old, it’s still one of my favorite quick recipes.

3. Soy Curls with Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce

Canned tomatoes or tomato sauce is well utilized in my kitchen as it’s an easy way to create a delicious fat free sauce and it can be seasoned with Mediterranean, Indian or Mexican spices really easily. I always have some chickpeas on hand and dried Soy Curls (which I pick up every time I go to Portland). You can use tempeh or tofu or skip it all together, but I like the texture of soy curls as it is a little meaty and goes really well with chickpeas in this recipe. Soy curls are also nice because they are compact and can be rehydrated so one package actually lasts for quite a few meals. If you like Chana Masala or Chicken Cacciatore you’ll like this.

4. Deluxe Dijon Tofu Scramble

I don’t really make or eat breakfast, but on weekends sometimes I make brunch. Whenever someone wants a hot breakfast or brunch I make this and it’s great for using up leftover veggies in the fridge, as I usually have half a bell pepper, or zucchini or some broccoli or mushrooms. You can also use whatever leftover veggies and greens you have in your fridge and throw this together. To make this faster I like to use pressed tofu (you can find it organic) as it’s already firm and doesn’t have much moisture in it so it’s great at absorbing flavours.

5. Vegetable Stir Fry with Tofu and Tahini Sauce (sometimes I add pressed or smoked tofu as well)

Stir fry is probably the easiest thing to make especially if you have some frozen vegetables and dried rice. I like to change it up and make a little tahini sauce from scratch to top it with instead of using bottled sauces. I don’t use any Asian bottled sauces as most of them contain MSG and have a lot of sugar and sodium in them. This way I can control the flavor of the sauce and make it to my tastes with things like fresh garlic, ginger, soy sauce and spices. You can also change it up by using different fresh or frozen veggies and different nut butters.

6. Quinoa Bean Chili

This is my most used slow cooker recipe. Whenever I have to feed a lot of people for a potluck or a family gathering I make this. My chili is super hearty with fresh cooked quinoa, black beans, kidney beans, corn, bell peppers, carrots, celery and tomatoes. I’ve fed it to many non vegetarians and they honestly don’t miss the meat. The quinoa is a great ground beef substitute because of it’s small and spongey size and it’s a great alternative to fake meat or soy protein for those who can’t have soy. Did I mention it’s also gluten free? Yeah so I make this recipe because it suits almost everyone’s dietary needs.

7. Chana Masala from Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World or Eggplant Chickpea Curry

Another one of my favorite curries is a chickpea curry in tomato sauce. It’s also extremely easy to make if you don’t have any vegetables left and are down to canned chickpeas or canned tomatoes. Or you can use fresh cooked chickpeas by using my favorite new tool the EZ Bean Cooker and keep this recipe truly fast and affordable. Don’t be intimidated by curries, this one is extremely easy to make and you’re going to be thrilled with how tasty and filling it is.

8. Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheezy

This mac & cheese is my favorite recipe as you’d never guess that there is butternut squash in it and it is very satisfying being baked with panko breadcrumbs.The secret is using miso paste, nutritional yeast and smoked paprika for a delicious vegan cheese sauce. It’s one of my most complimented recipes by family and readers alike, so I hope you try it!

9. Smoothies!

I make smoothies for breakfast, or lunch whenever I don’t have time to make anything else, or I have ripe fruit to use up. Check out my smoothie selection on the blog and get some ideas for easy and tasty fat free smoothies you can enjoy for a quick meal.

10. Black Bean and Corn Tacos

Someone once joked to me that I must only eat tofu tacos as a vegan, and I kind of laughed because I actually have never had tofu tacos. I always make black bean and corn tacos because they feel naturally Mexican, simple and fresh. I serve these tacos often when I don’t have a lot of time and have a lot of people to feed. Then I make up some fresh guacamole and pico de gallo and everyone has a blast loading up their tacos with their favorite toppings. Long gone are the days of boring Old El Paso recipes from a box (like we do in Canada and parts of the USA). Have some real Mexican food the healthy way. Who doesn’t love tacos right?

I hope I’ve given you some inspiration for fast recipes you haven’t thought of before. Which recipe are you most looking forward to trying?

20 Minutes To The Table Episode 5: Zucchini Rotini Marinara with Vegetables

August 25, 2013 by Veronica Grace 14 Comments

It’s been a long day, you’re tired, you’re hungry and you have no imagination for what to make for dinner. – I know this feeling and what to make for dinner when I have no inspiration. This vegan Zucchini Rotini Marinara is something that I make quite often because it’s easy to throw together and it’s great for using up vegetables in the fridge. Sometimes I’ll add in some mushrooms, broccoli, or carrots, but I really love this version with zucchini, bell peppers and peas. I use whole grain rotini and I like this style of noodle because it holds onto the sauce well, has a nice texture and looks really pretty on the plate. I got a giant box of this at Costco for a good deal. It lasted me forever and made quick meals really easy.

I actually prefer a spiral type of noodle compared to spaghetti or fettucini as well. This way I can add more veggies and have a little less pasta. Most of the time I make my own pasta sauce each time with just canned tomatoes and season it and blend it up, but I wanted to show you a quick version of this recipe. I know most of you are probably used to buying pasta sauce in a jar.

When I went shopping in Canada there weren’t too many brands of pasta sauce available that didn’t contain olive oil, canola oil or soy bean oil, but I did find 2 different brands. Just look for one that has a low fat, or light description on the front and then check the back to see if it has any oil. I really try to make sure everything I buy is oil-free, it just doesn’t need the extra calories and I don’t enjoy eating slick or greasy food anymore.

Vegan pasta marinara is one of the easiest dishes you can make, but you can make it delicious and special by jazzing it up with some fresh veggies, cooking them perfectly and seasoning your sauce to your liking. I always like to add some fresh chopped onions for more flavor. The recipe video is below.

If you enjoy my video please click on it to view it in youtube so you can click the like icon and subscribe to my channel so you can get more recipe videos. Thank you for the support!

Recipe follows below.

20 Minutes to The Table Episode 5: Zucchini Rotini Marinara with Vegetables

Serves 6

Pasta Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
2 zucchinis sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
300g/4 cups dried whole wheat rotini (or GF)
1 700 ml/ 24 oz. jar of pasta sauce (look for oil free and low in sodium)
1 tbsp. fresh parsley
Salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt if desired.

2. When water is boiling add the pasta, bring it back to a boil and then begin timing it as per the directions on the package.

3. Saute onion in a non-stick pan, dry for 4-5 minutes.

4. Add the zucchini and bell peppers. Cook until just tender.

5. Add the tomato sauce and stir to combine, when hot add the frozen peas.

6. Test the pasta for desired doneness. Drain in a colander.

7. Add drained pasta to pasta sauce in a large saute pan (or a pot if you don’t have one large enough).

8. Marry the flavors together for a minute or two to help the pasta absorb the sauce.

9. Add the fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

10. Serve!

Cranberry Walnut Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups Spring Mix salad
2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp walnuts, chopped
Balsamic vinegar to drizzle

Directions:

1. Assemble salad in a bowl or on plates.

2. Drizzle with dressing and serve along with pasta.

What is your favorite type of pasta and vegetables to cook together?

Eat To Live Program By Dr. Fuhrman Overview

August 12, 2013 by Veronica Grace 7 Comments

FTC Notice: This post contains affiliate links that go towards supporting the blog.

Eat To Live on Amazon

guest post by one of my readers Cynthia P. Colby

So you’ve heard about the Eat to Live program created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman and wonder what it’s all about – if it’s really as good as promoted. In a word – YES. I personally believe it’s the best way on the planet to eat. It’s a great way to lose weight – AND a whole lot of major and minor health problems – making your life a whole lot better and much more enjoyable no matter what age you’re at! It will also save you a pile of grocery money and money for medicines in the long term. That said, it’s not for everyone. Let me tell you what it’s about and you can see if it’s for you.

The Eat to Live program is actually pretty simple. Health equals nutrients divided by calories. If nutrients (nutrient-rich foods) are higher than calories you’re doing it correctly! What it boils down to is a focus on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables with limited amounts of whole grain foods. It does not include animal products like butter and meat – well, there is an option to include some lean fish and an egg white omelet, but it’s preferred that you don’t – and suggests you avoid caffeine and alcohol as well. The easiest part of all is that there are no complicated calculations or calorie counting – what you eat and can’t eat are clearly laid out.

Still sounds tough, considering that we’re enmeshed in a ‘take-out’ and ‘packaged up’ society of calorie-filled, salt and sugar saturated food. Just think about what you’ve eaten in the past week! It’s actually rather shocking when you see how badly we fuel our bodies. What you need to do with this way of eating is make yourself important enough to take the time to prepare your own food – from food that you can actually grow, or at least pick up in the fresh fruit and vegetable section of your grocery store.

One main shift is that the main dish of every meal is the salad, not a piece of meat or pile of starch. Here’s what you can look forward to eating: an unlimited amount of raw vegetables; cooked green vegetables, along with eggplant, a rainbow of peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes; 1 cup or more of beans – and there are so many types and flavors and delightful textures of beans! – bean sprouts and tofu every day; and at least 4 servings of fresh fruit a day. You can have starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn 1 cup daily, whole grains are one cup daily, an ounce of raw nuts every day, and 2 ounces of avocado each day as well. To top that off, you get 1 tablespoon of ground flax a day and a teaspoon of oil every day as well. If you’re trying to lose weight, you should eat at least 1 pound of raw vegetables and 1 pound of cooked vegetables per day – that will fill you up! What you’ll be avoiding, as you may have noticed, is all refined carbohydrates such as: bread, pasta, white rice, fruit juice, and sugar. If you feel this change is too drastic, there’s even a transition program you can start on which includes a weekly shopping list, menus, and recipes. Mmm!

Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live program is not a diet, it’s a way to eat for the rest of your life, based on sound nutritional information – it makes good sense. Many renowned studies have proven its positive effects – losing weight is only one of them. Hundreds of thousands of people have reversed diabetes, heart disease, cancer and cardiovascular and autoimmune disease following this style of eating! Now, it’s your choice!

Find out how easy, tasty and satisfying eating on this program can be and get the book here!

For Dr. Fuhrman style recipes check out this section of the blog.

What do I bring for vegan camping?

August 4, 2013 by Veronica Grace 41 Comments

I went camping for the past 2 weekends this summer in the Rocky Mountains and although it’s a lot of work packing and setting everything up, it is fun getting out of the house, away from the computer and offline for a little while to just relax. Here’s some photos of our tent site to start.

I will admit I was a little concerned with ravenous mosquitoes and rain so I got an eating tent as well, which was handy as it did indeed rain pretty hard twice over the weekend so at least some of the stuff was protected and we could sit under the tent and wait for the rain to pass. The funny thing is we were the ONLY people tenting in this area, everyone else had trailers and toy haulers to hide in. It’s definitely more work tenting, but it’s more affordable and still kind of fun. Although it is quite chilly each morning!

Oh and we also went to do some dirt biking….

Um yeah so I’m apparently trying out dirt biking, even though I have no experience riding dirt bikes or motorcycles in general. It’s probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done, but I got all this second hand gear to try it out. And I’m super glad I did!

Let’s just say that I came home with 8 bruises (2 big ones on my legs) and a smashed thumb from dropping the bike on myself and falling over several times going up and down steep rocky hills. It’s not easy learning how to to shift a manual transmission bike and steer and not be scared of crashing going down a giant hill at the same time lol. I’ll be trying it again, but I have to say I’ve never been so sore in my life. I could barely move the next day after coming home because of the bruises on my legs, and my arms and shoulders were exhausted from picking up and pushing the 250 lb bike up and off me and up and down the hills I couldn’t do.

I feel ridiculous in this outfit. The pants are very high waisted and so thick and bulky they make me sweaty. I also feel like I’m wearing space boots and an astronaut’s helmut!

Here’s our dirt bikes, my bf so lovingly built this little red one for me. I can’t imagine riding anything more powerful, it already feels beastly enough for me… lol

And now you’re probably thinking I’m insane and wondering what the point of this post was, well I want to show you what I brought for food camping, because a few of you wanted to know if I had any “camping recipes” on Facebook. Well I wouldn’t say recipes, but quick meal ideas because honestly spending time prepping, cooking and cleaning WHILE camping in a tent isn’t my kind of idea of fun. I needed a break from food prep and clean up, so I tried to make everything super simple to prepare. The last thing you want to be is hungry and cranky trying to start a camp fire and reach for snacks instead of a healthy meal.

So here’s my list of the top 6 things I brought for vegan camping to keep things simple and healthy for the weekend

1. The first thing I bring camping is pre washed and cut up fruit, each packaged in their own individual containers. (Ex. watermelon cubes in a giant container, pineapple chunks in a medium container etc.) This ensures that the fruit stays fresher longer so juicy fruits such as watermelon and pineapple don’t speed up the ripening process of berries or change their flavor. I brought watermelon, pineapple, red grapes, blueberries and strawberries. I always do my fruit this way and store it separately as I like fresh tasting fruit and not mushy muddled flavors. Whenever I want some fruit I can just grab a plate and a fork and plate some up for breakfast, a side for lunch or a snack. Almost half of my cooler is packed with large containers of prepared fruit to keep me eating fresh and healthy even in the great outdoors.

2. Veggie kabobs are next on my list because I don’t make them at home very often and it’s kind of fun to cook over the fire or a camp stove. I pre wash and slice up all of my veggies and place them in a container and can easily assemble as many as you like for your side dishes. For my kabobs I used yellow and green zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, and mushrooms. I used a metal grate like this to place over the camp stove or fire to cook them.

Instead of brushing the veggie kabobs with oil, I like to drizzle or marinate them in balsamic vinegar and sprinkle a salt and pepper grinder mix over top of them for roasting. If you really like the veggies to absorb flavor I suggest using a little bag or container to toss and marinate them in balsamic vinegar. I was making mine very quickly and just drizzled a bit on top before grilling.

3. Fresh corn is another fun food to bring camping. I got some fresh corn on the cob (you can find this organic and gmo free from farmer’s markets and some health food stores so please don’t freak out) and put it in the cooler along with my ice. When I went to take it out it was actually soaked in water, and this was quite helpful. Pre soaking your whole corn cobs helps them retain moisture while cooking.

Next peel off just the outer layers of the corn husk, leaving the thin inner layers, wrap the cobs tightly in tinfoil and then place directly on a low fire or hot coals for about 20 minutes just until tender. This was the first time I’ve ever put corn directly on a fire and it turned out great! Camping food doesn’t have to be anything complicated, I just keep it really simple and let me tell you my friends were certainly jealous of my fresh and tasty meals I made!

4. For hearty breakfasts I made a double batch of my Deluxe Dijon Tofu Scramble and kept the seasoned tofu in one container and the sliced veggies in little bags separately so I could cook as much as I needed each day over the camp stove. Super easy and nice to have a hot breakfast when it’s cold every morning.

5. For fun I also bring some veggie hot dogs and veggie burgers (see my chickpea quinoa burgers, yam black bean burgers and spicy Mexican black bean burgers). You can also get vegan marshmallows as well to roast over the fire.

credit theartfulgourmet.com

6. To round out my veggie offerings I also brought mixed salad in little ziploc bags for easy serving and used balsamic vinegar as a quick dressing.

So there you have it, a little insight to my vegan camping adventures and what I bring to keep it simple and healthy in the great outdoors. What do you think? What do you like to bring camping and where do you go camping?

20 Minutes To The Table: Baked Flatbread with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Artichokes and Basil

July 28, 2013 by Veronica Grace 10 Comments

So the other day I was craving something pizza-like, but knew I wanted to put a healthy twist on it. Although you may think I’m apt to put hummus on just about anything (I might! lol) I actually don’t eat hummus all that often. But when I do, I love to make my own from scratch as it’s super simple. In this recipe I wanted to use the creamy hummus to sub for the sauce and cheese of traditional pizza and then top with some delicious veggies. Although you can use store bought hummus, I don’t like that it contains a lot of oil and isn’t as tasty as making your own. In fact there is a world of difference between fresh made roasted red pepper hummus versus the store bought kind.

In this episode of 20 minutes to the Table I’m going to show you how you can make your own roasted red pepper hummus, baked flat bread and a fresh salad with maple dijon dressing all in less than 20 minutes for an easy midweek meal

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Some other toppings for your baked flatbread could be sautéed mushrooms, black olives, pineapple, arugula, tempeh or smoked tofu. Use your imagination! Recipes below:

Oil-Free Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Recipe

This is half the recipe from my version in Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World

Ingredients:

15 oz. / 425 g can chickpeas (no-salt), drained (reserve a few tbsp of liquid) *OR 1 3/4 cup fresh cooked chickpeas
1 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed butter)
6 oz. / 170 g (half a jar) roasted red peppers, drained *OR about 1 small fresh roasted red pepper
1/2 large lemon, juiced
2 cloves of garlic
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp. Herbamare or salt, or to taste

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Taste test and adjust seasonings if desired and blend again. Don’t worry if it’s a little thin, when it baked it will become creamy and thick!
3. Enjoy!

Recipe photo

Vegan Baked Flatbread with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Artichoke Hearts and Basil

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (recipe above)
1 package of thin burger/sandwich buns or other flatbread
1 15 oz. can artichoke hearts in water (not oil) *OR 400g of frozen artichoke hearts
1 small Vidalia (sweet) onion, sliced
1 handful of fresh basil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sauté onion over medium heat for 5-7 minutes in a little bit of water.
2. Slice artichoke hearts and basil into strips.
3. Assemble flatbread by spreading a thick layer of hummus on each piece of bread and topping with cooked onion, artichoke pieces and basil.
4. Bake for 8-10 until crispy and brown on the bottom. (I baked mine for 10 minutes)

Spinach Arugula Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing

Serves 3-4

Salad Ingredients:

1 5 oz package baby spinach & arugula mix
1/2 English cucumber, sliced
1/2 ripe tomato, sliced
1/3 cup chickpeas

Dressing Ingredients:

4 tbsp Dijon mustard
5-6 tbsp maple syrup (or honey if desired)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper

Directions:

1. Assemble salad ingredients into a bowl.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Drizzle over salad and store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.

Have you ever made a vegan flatbread or pizza? What’s your favorite toppings? Let me know what you think of these recipes by posting below.

Lower Fat Vegan Chocolate Pudding (Stove Top)

July 23, 2013 by Veronica Grace 37 Comments

Although there are many ways to make your own vegan pudding such as blending avocados and cacao together (for a very high fat raw pudding) or combining silken tofu and melted chocolate (still high fat and has soy and oil) I wanted to make a less “sinful” way to make chocolate pudding. This vegan chocolate pudding recipe is a “better for you” version that I promise will fully satisfy your chocolate or pudding cravings! Anyone can make this recipe, you just need a handful of ingredients and you can also use whichever non dairy milk you like. I used unsweetened original almond milk as I prefer the taste of it versus soy milk, but it’s up to you.

Watch my instructional video below (it’s not very long) and the recipe follows.

Lower Fat Vegan Chocolate Pudding Stove Top Recipe

Serves 4 (1/2 cup servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups unsweetened original almond milk, or other unsweetened non dairy milk
3 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp maple syrup or sweetener of choice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I used my own homemade from fresh vanilla beans)

Directions:

1. Take 1/2 cup of the measured almond milk and combine it with the cornstarch and whisk together until there are no clumps.
2. add the maple syrup, cocoa and vanilla to a medium sauce pan over medium heat and gradually add the almond milk and whisk in.
3. Continue whisking and bring to a gentle boil. This will take up to 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and mix well.
5. Reduce heat and continue cooking until thickened into a thin pudding.
6. Remove from heat and pour into serving dishes.
7. Cover bowls with saran wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set (at least 30 minutes).

Enjoy!

I bet you didn’t realize it was so easy to make vegan chocolate pudding did you? I was very impressed with this recipe. It has all of the decadence of a melted chocolate bar, but it much lower in fat. It’s also easy to adjust the flavoring to your liking by adding more or less cocoa and more or less maple syrup. You also can’t taste the maple syrup in this recipe either. I prefer to use maple syrup as my sweetener because it’s more natural. I don’t use agave syrup as it gives me headaches just like high fructose corn syrup does (some argue it’s even worse than HFCS for you as well.)

Oh P.S. You can also use this recipe for hot chocolate and just omit the corn starch! Heat until boiling and serve. Mmm. 🙂

So there you have it. Are you ready to make vegan chocolate pudding? Come to think of it I want some more right now….

20 Minutes To The Table: Mexican Black Bean Corn Tacos & Costa Rican Cabbage Salad Video

July 21, 2013 by Veronica Grace 50 Comments

20 Minutes To The Table: Mexican Black Bean Corn Tacos & Costa Rican Cabbage Salad

Hi everyone! I had an idea the other day of putting together quick delicious meals for those of you short on time. This recipe is a great midweek recipe, if you can open a can and use a knife you can make this recipe very easily! I’ll start off by showing you how to make the raw Costa Rican Cabbage Salad recipe, and then the Mexican Black Bean Corn Tacos (this is a variation on my recipe in Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World.)

If you’d like order one of my cooking aprons or my cookbook my store is here: http://lowfatveganchef.storenvy.com

I’d like to point out that I used canned ingredients in my first video to show how anyone, no matter where you are, can make this recipe. You can also use home cooked beans and fresh corn (or frozen) if desired and using organic foods is your choice as well. This new series is going to show easy plant based recipes that absolutely everyone can make with ease, when pressed for time. That’s why I list the short cuts. Most of the time I cook from scratch, but I know this is not feasible for everyone, especially on a week night after work. Please of course feel free to use fresh cooked beans, organic fresh corn and your own homemade corn tortillas if you are a scratch cooker, but of course this will add to the prep time and take much longer than 20 minutes. Enjoy 🙂

Recipes follow below.

Raw Vegan Costa Rican Cabbage Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 green cabbage shredded (or 5 cups bagged slaw mix)
1 medium (ripe) tomato, diced
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 glove garlic, pressed or minced
1 handful fresh cilantro/coriander roughly chopped (or to taste)
1 – 1 1/2 large limes juiced (use your discretion to balance with salt)
1/4-1/2 tsp Herbamare or salt (use your discretion to balance with the lime)
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Toss ingredients into a large salad bowl (mine was a little small but I used it as it was clear to show you) and massage well for a minute or two, scrunching the cabbage to help soften it.

2. Adjust lime, salt and pepper to your tastes. If it’s perfectly seasoned it should taste neither of just salt or lime, but a nice mix between the two.

3. Place in refrigerate to marinate until needed.

To spice things up: Add a sliced fresh jalapeno or chili pepper.

Based on my recipe in Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World

Vegan Mexican Black Bean & Corn Tacos

Serves 2-4 (depending how ravenous you are!)

Ingredients:

19 oz. can no sodium black beans or pinto beans (or 2 1/3 cups cooked fresh)
12 oz. can no sodium/no sugar corn or 1.5 cups frozen or fresh cut
4 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
3/4 tbsp maple syrup, maple sugar or honey – I don’t use agave (*optional to add flavor to the unsalted beans)
1.5 tsp roasted cumin (or regular, but roasted is much more flavorful)
1/4-1/2 tsp Herbamare or salt (or to taste)
Pinch of fresh ground pepper
1/4-1/2 lime juiced (or to taste)
8-12 corn tortillas (depends how full you load your tacos)
Salsa of choice (I always look for the lowest sodium on the shelves, you’d be surprised how much sodium is in salsa)

Directions:

1. Heat a pot over medium heat. Drain the corn (if applicable), add some black bean juice to the pot and the garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the black beans, corn and seasonings (leave the lime juice until the end) and heat for 5-7 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

3. Meanwhile heat your corn tortillas over medium heat in a crepe pan, griddle or frying pan just until warm and place in a tortilla warmer, tinfoil or tea towel to insulate. Alternatively you can heat them over a gas flame until slightly charred or microwave just at the end all together for 30 seconds. (Any longer and it won’t be good…)

4. Add the lime juice to the beans and corn and taste test. Adjust seasonings to taste.

5. Assemble tacos, starting with a layer of black beans and corn, some salsa and then top with your marinated Costa Rican Cabbage Salad. Sometimes I like to add some fresh guacamole for variety as well.

6. Enjoy!

Make it spicy: add some chipotle chili powder, cayenne or a sliced jalapeno to the black bean and corns. Use your discretion.

Corn tortillas are fairly common in the USA and easy to find at most grocery stores and health food stores. I use corn tortillas because they usually have only 3-4 ingredients (but read the label to make sure there is no oil or lard) and are lower calorie than wheat tortillas. Wheat tortillas are more for burritos. If you’re in Canada check your health food store or google mexican/latin groceries in your area. I found several in my city of Calgary that had homemade corn tortillas. I will post a video later on show you how to make your own corn tortillas with masa (corn flour).

This makes a fairly light meal, if you’re family or dinner guests are ravenous I would recommend serving some fresh seasoned rice on the side to round it out, or double wrapping your tacos (use 2 tortillas) and load them up with beans and corn. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed my first episode of 20 minutes To The Table. I filmed this in my kitchen with a camera, a tripod and a lot of books lol. Let me know what you think by posting below!