Carrots

Slowcooker Vegan White Bean Cassoulet by SkinnyMs

March 16, 2014 by Veronica Grace 8 Comments

I love using white beans, especially in plant-based Mediterranean cuisine. They are a delicious addition to soups, stews, chillis, salads or even in place of chickpeas in hummus. They have a mild creamy taste and pair well with almost any herb. I instantly liked this recipe for vegan white bean cassoulet because is jam packed and filled with veggies and flavor without all the meat and cheese of the classic French dish. And once you see how beautiful it is when it comes together it’s sure to please all of your family’s senses.

So before you put away your slow cooker for the season, why not try this hearty dish when you are craving something “different” yet still budget friendly and super filling. I’d also pair this veggie cassoulet with a nice light salad with a homemade vinaigrette. (Check out my quick dijon dressing in this video)

Vegetarian White Bean Cassoulet

A cassoulet is a French dish that is very complicated to prepare and is usually very meat-heavy. Traditionally it is a dish filled with fatty meats, white beans, and vegetables topped with savory bread crumbs and cheese. This version is not nearly as complicated, and it is a healthy cassoulet that is full of veggies. It’s a slow cooker recipe unlike any other. So, if you’re looking for a vegetarian white bean cassoulet recipe that is satisfying, rich, and filling, this one is sure to be a hit.

Vegan White Bean Cassoulet

Recipe provided by SkinnyMs.com

Ingredients:

Cassoulet:

3 leeks, white parts, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 15 ounce cans white beans of your choice, rinsed and drained

Breadcrumbs:

1 cup good quality coarse bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (or garlic powder)
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little vegetable broth or water. Add the leeks and celery and cook until soft. Add the carrots and cook until lightly browned. Add more water or broth as necessary. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the mixture to the slow cooker, followed by the rest of the cassoulet ingredients. Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours, until vegetables are tender. Lightly mash some of the beans to thicken the cassoulet.

Make the toasted breadcrumbs by tossing the breadcrumbs with the garlic (or garlic powder). Lay in an even layer on a baking sheet and lightly toast in a 350 F degree oven, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and combine with the parsley and lemon zest.

To serve, spoon the cassoulet into individual ramekins and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Alternatively, sprinkle breadcrumbs directly on the cassoulet in the slow cooker and serve from there.

Notes:

This recipe has been edited to omit the olive oil to be in line with the needs of the readers of this blog.

Have you ever made a cassoulet recipe? What did you put in it?

20 Min To The Table: Asian Vegetable Tofu Stir Fry with Chinese Garlic Ginger Sauce

August 11, 2013 by Veronica Grace 14 Comments

Stir fry may be something many of you have made before, but I guarantee you’ve never made it with my homemade Chinese Garlic Ginger Sauce recipe. I’m going to show you how to make stir fry without any oil, but with tons of flavour. With fresh garlic, fresh ginger and a little soy sauce you can make your own delicious stir fry sauce so there’s no need to rely on store bought ones with MSG and high fructose corn syrup. You can also make it in advance to use later on and just store it in the fridge.

I’m not a fan of store bought dressings or bottled sauces because of the questionable ingredients they often contain so hopefully with my video you’ll see you can make your own and have them be just as tasty too!

To subscribe to my Youtube channel please click on the video to open it in a new browser and hit the subscribe button beside LowFatVeganChef just under the video. Likes are always appreciated as well!

What I do to save money buying pre cooked brown or white rice (for fast meals) is to cook up a big batch in my Zojirushi 5 1/2 cup rice cooker and then I have enough for that night’s meal plus extra to store in bags or tupperware in the fridge or freezer for later. Just a note, cooked rice holds a lot of moisture and must be eaten within 3 days if left in the fridge due to bacteria growth. So please use it within this time or freeze it for food safety. Also you must let it cool before placing it in the fridge or freezer to minimize the bacteria growth as well.

Additionally if you’d prefer to just buy pre cooked brown rice to always have on hand you can check out Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice Pouch or Steamed Brown Rice Bowls and microwave it shortly before your dish is ready.

20 Minutes To The Table Recipe for Episode 3

Asian Vegetable Stir Fry with Tofu

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 package firm or pressed organic tofu, sliced into cubes
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 green cabbage sliced
3-4 cups broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix (or stir fry mix)
1 bag of pre cooked brown rice or 3-4 cups fresh cooked (I used homemade)

Chinese Garlic Ginger Stir Fry Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth low sodium
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3-4 tbsp maple syrup or sugar (as needed to balance the spice/acidity)
3 cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger, minced
1/2 tsp granulated onion powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
2-3 tbsp cornstarch (depending how thick you want it)

Directions:

1. Prepare the sauce. You have two options you can either blend it all together and gently heat it until thickened (this does produce some foam from the ginger/garlic fibre so I scooped that off) or you can just mince the ginger and garlic and put everything together in a pan and heat until thickened. Set aside.

2. Prepare the tofu and heat over medium high heat in a non stick pan. Add a little ginger garlic sauce to cook it in. Let it cook for a few minutes while you prepare your veggies.

3. Add the vegetables and stir well. Place a lid over the vegetables and cook 4-6 minutes (depending how big your vegetables are). Taste test, stopping when crisp tender. Heat your rice (if using bagged pre cooked rice) in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.

4. Drizzle in some more sauce and toss to combine.

5. Serve stir fry over rice and drizzle with more sauce as desired.

Enjoy!

What are your favorite stir fry ingredients? What sauce do you usually pair them with?

Top 10 Healthy Snack Time Alternatives

May 12, 2013 by Veronica Grace 11 Comments

I know that for some of you eating healthy all the time can seem like a drag at first. Sometimes you feel fed up with eating only what you’re “supposed to” and what you really want to do is sit back and relax with one of your favorite treats like a bag of potato chips, pretzels, cookies, candy and more. But that can lead to a slippery slope and make it hard for you to get back on track to the path of health (and keep that weight off).

So instead of moping about what tasty treats you can’t snack on, why not be open to trying some new ones? And best of all these are all natural, easy to get and low in calories so even munching on a few to curb your cravings isn’t going to cause you any harm.

Let’s check out some delicious alternatives for those who crave crunchy or sweet snacks after dinner or any time of day.

1. Sugar Snap Peas are a great choice because they are naturally sweet and often come pre washed in a bag. Simply open the bag and snack. A handful of these will only run you about 20 calories! (I also like to add sugar snap peas to salads and stir fries for an extra crunch!)

2. Carrot Sticks aren’t just for kids you know! You can enjoy freshly sliced carrots as is because they’re naturally sweet and crunchy. Of course there’s also baby carrots, but I’m not really a fan of how they are processed and created (ugly carrots whittled down into small pieces and bathed in chlorine). The choice is yours and it’s even better if you can enjoy them without any dip at all. A handful of carrot sticks will run you only 26 calories.

3. Celery Sticks are often popular in veggie trays but are usually served with high fat dips such as ranch dressing, Caesar dressing, peanut butter or Cheeze Whiz. Try to wean yourself off of those calorie laden dips and enjoy the crunch and natural flavor of celery sticks just as they are. If you’re craving potato chips they are a nice substitute for that crunch you desire and are just 10 calories a handful.

4. Fat Free Potato Chips So what do you do when you feel like you will actually go crazy if you don’t have a potato chip? Well I suggest you make your own in that case. Fat free potato chips are not quite as addicting (because they contain no oil) and at only 30 calories a handful they are truly a guilt free alternative to the store bought kind.

5. Cucumber Slices are a refreshing snack or addition to a salad especially in the warmer months when you’re looking for something light and juicy. Half an English cucumber or a few mini seedless cucumbers sliced up are a great choice over high calorie packaged snacks at just 8 calories a handful.

6. Cherry Tomatoes are naturally a little sweeter and more flavorful than large tomatoes and can make the perfect finger food for both children and adults. You can eat them as is or sprinkle a little pepper on them for flavor. At just 13 calories a handful you might be glad you switched!

7. Bell pepper slices are not just for stir fries and fajitas! They are naturally sweet and zesty and don’t need any seasoning or dip to be enjoyed. Bell pepper slices come in at just 19 calories a handful.

8. Strawberries and berries are nature’s candy and good all on their own. Once you start removing excess sugar from your diet you will find they can taste just as sweet or even better than candy with their fresh juicy flavor. A favorite after dinner treat of mine is just a bowl full of berries. At just 24 calories a handful (raspberries 32 a handful) it’s probably the best dessert choice you could make!

9. Fresh sliced apples are often easier to eat and more enjoyable once you cut up. A favorite for children and a great snack before or after a meal, apple slices are only 29 calories a handful.

10. Grapes are a great choice for a sweet snack when you’re cravings kick in because they’re filled with not only vitamins and water, but fibre that will leave you more satisfied than candies will. In summer I like to wash, dry and de stem grapes and freeze them for a natural frozen dessert. The sugars in the grapes will naturally crystallize and are great as a frozen treat or as ice cubes for filtered water. A handful of grapes is just 52 calories.

So how can you best utilize these healthier snacks to ensure you stick to your new found healthy eating plan?

Plan ahead and purchase some of these each week
Wash, dry, peel or chop and place in sealed containers in the fridge
Take your favorites along with you to work or while doing errands (so you’re less likely to buy something on the run)
Next time you go to the fridge for a snack, choose one of these instead
Mix it up, try different fruits and veggies each week!

I know it sounds so simple, but many people can benefit from having healthier foods within arms reach when hunger strikes. We all know too well how easy it is to give into weakness when we are hungry and cranky, so do yourself a favor and plan ahead!

Some of you may be wondering what about other snacks such as nuts, trail mix, dried fruit etc. The answer is, if you’re trying to lose weight, these foods are too rich in calories and too small in volume (compared to fruits and vegetables) to really satisfy your hunger when compared to the above suggestions. The idea behind successful weight loss is to eat less calories than you burn and using high water content, high fibre foods instead of calorically dense foods will help you get there. I prefer to use nuts and dried fruit in small quantities as part of a meal such as a garnish for salads or oatmeal so I am less likely to over eat on them. So choose low calorie high fibre, high water content snacks instead.

What’s your favorite healthy whole food snack? Do you plan ahead and stock your fridge with fresh sliced vegetables and pre washed fruits?

Gluten Free Vegan Yam Black Bean Burgers (Adapted From TheGlutenFreeVegan.com)

January 28, 2013 by Veronica Grace 70 Comments

Here we go with another yam recipe! Ahem… “sweet potato” if you are in the states and kumara if you are in Australia. This recipe is an adaptation of fellow blogger Megan Lust whom I met at the International Food Blogger conference in Portland, Oregon last August.

Funny story, so we sort of found each other with a few other vegan bloggers (there weren’t many!) and bonded over the lack of vegan food at the conference and being pretty hungry. We hung out and then after we saw each others’s business cards we were like hey you sound familiar…. I found out we’ were both Canadian and she was from Saskatoon. Then I thought odd… I swear I know a gluten free vegan in Saskatoon.

And we find out we had actually been vegan food swap buddies a few months before. We tried it out this Canada blogger vegan food swap for 2 months when it first started before giving up (because too many people were sending prepackaged vegan junk you could easily get at the store.) But the cool thing was she had lovingly made me some HOMEMADE ginger pear jam because I begged to not be sent anything junkie with oil and said anything else would be awesome. Here is my previous blog post about the lovely things she sent me.

Faster forward to a few months later and the other day I was cruising her website The Gluten Free Vegan and saw these yummy homemade “sweet potato” burgers. (We Canadians use that word online generally so Americans know what we’re talking about! and most of our blog traffic comes from the USA and not Canada) and I decided to make them myself.

I wanted to try these. I JUST HAD TO.

So in my version of course I stripped the oil out of it and tried to make it lower fat, and also changed up the seasonings to it as well. If you like smokey black bean yam burgers that have a South Western taste you’re going to love these!

These vegan patties also stay together really well because Megan (the genius that she is) uses spiralized or shredded yam pieces in the patty to help it stay together without needing breadcrumbs which makes for a tasty gluten free vegan yam burger! (Much tastier than my previous attempt of yams with black beans and breadcrumbs, that recipe has never seen the light of day because it just wasn’t delicious enough lol.)

You end up with a delicious and crispy on the outside moist in the middle veggie patty that is perfect to serve between burger buns, or even set it atop of some rice or pilaff. So check it out!

Gluten Free Yam Potato Black Bean Burgers

Adapted from Megan Lust’s recipe at The Gluten Free Vegan

Makes 6-8 patties

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups grated or spiralized yams/sweet potato (about 2 small ones)
1 19 oz.(large) can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed well
6 green onions/scallions/spring onions, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic
3/4 cup walnut pieces
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4-1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Add walnuts to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until finely ground.
4. Add in the carrot, celery, green onions and garlic and pulse to finely chop. Be careful not to let it become a paste. Remove contents and set aside in a bowl.
5. Add in the black beans to the food processor and gently pulse until chopped. Add 1 1/2 cups of the grated yams and pulse into a chunky puree. Scrape out into same bowl.
6. Add the remaining 1 cup of grated yams and seasonings. Stir and combine well.
7. Form into 8 patties with your hands and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
8. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned and set.
9. Garnish with condiments and serve as desired. (I use hummus instead of Veganaise, ketchup and relish or pickles and lettuce.)

Additional Tips:

If you don’t have smoked paprika or chipotle pepper, I recommend it, but you can use regular. It just won’t have that full bodied smokey flavor to it.

For a gluten free option, serve patties in a large lettuce leaf or use gluten free buns.

Additionally you can serve these like sweet potato cakes over top of rice.

Store remaining patties in between sheets of parchment paper, either in the fridge or seal and place in freezer. To reheat, place into a non stick pan and heat over medium heat until warmed through.

Have you ever made your own vegan burger patties? What do you put in them?

Asian Vegetable Stir Fry in Tahini Sauce

January 7, 2013 by Veronica Grace 10 Comments

Stir fries can vary widely from delicious and tasty to boring and bland, and as a vegan it isn’t always the most appetizing dish to make (if you’ve eaten it a thousand times before.)

I find the solution is to vary the sauces you use and I like to make different ones. You can also change up the rice you serve them on by using brown rice, white rice, red rice or a combination of any of them.

You can use this tahini sauce over steamed vegetables or stir fried vegetables in a non stick pan. (You don’t need to use oil in non stick pans, you can cook the vegetables by themselves or in a little water if necessary).

Use your favorite veggies and get creative!

Asian Vegetable Stir Fry in Tahini Sauce

Serves 2

Tahini Sauce Ingredients:

1/3-1/2 cup water (I use the lower amount, my Vitamix pulverizes everything, only use higher amount for low powered blender)
2 tbsp tahini
2 large medjool dates, pitted (and chopped if necessary for your blender)
1 large clove of garlic
2 tsp of fresh chopped ginger
1 1/2 tbsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce (GF if desired)

Stir Fry:

3-4 cups frozen or fresh mixed vegetables
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice

Directions:

1. Combine sauce ingredients in a Vita-Mix or blender and blend until smooth. If using a basic blender you may need to use the higher amount of water and chop your garlic, ginger and dates to ensure that it blends properly.

2. Saute fresh or frozen vegetables in a wok or non-stick skillet with 1/2 cup water. Cover with a pot lid and steam until tender. Add additional water if necessary.

3. Assemble bowl. Add brown rice to a bowl or plate, top with vegetables and drizzle with tahini sauce.

4. Serve.

Additional Tips:

You can customize this sauce by adding more or less garlic or ginger or dates, or by swapping out the tahini for almond or peanut butter instead for variety.

To make this recipe really quickly you can use frozen stir fry veggies or pre cut fresh veggies from the produce section of the grocery store.

What’s in your favorite stir fry recipe?

Vegan Quinoa Chickpea Pilaff

November 26, 2012 by Veronica Grace 18 Comments

Quinoa is all the rage now, and so are quinoa salads and pilaffs. There are hundreds of ways to season quinoa and you don’t have to just eat it plain on the side. If you find cooking quinoa properly still a challenge, check out my post How To Cook Quinoa Perfectly to make sure your next batch turns out amazing.

This time I decided to mix things up and make my quinoa a little different. A heartier side filled with chickpeas, carrots, onions and celery. This would work as a warm side dish, a cold salad, or you can make it a meal by adding some sautéed tofu, tempeh or soy curls on top as well.

To get those pretty colours I used both white and red quinoa in this dish. Feel free to use either, I just like the look of multicoloured quinoa for some variety. This recipe makes a lot so it’s great for leftovers you can keep in the fridge or freezer for a quick meal or snack later on as well.

Quinoa Chickpea Pilaf

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa (I used 1 cup white and 1/2 cup red)
3 cups/709.76 ml low sodium vegetable broth
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 15 oz./425g can of chickpeas
2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or GF tamari)
2 tsp roasted cumin (ground)
1/2 tsp roasted coriander (ground)
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
2 tsp Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (or other salt free seasoning mix) *optional

Directions:

1. Sauté the onions, carrots and celery in 1/2 cup of broth for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute and add the chickpeas.

2. Add remaining broth to a medium pot, quinoa, seasonings and saucepan ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low (about 3 on the burner) and cook covered for 25 to 30 minutes until quinoa is cooked. (If you put it on very low, or 1, it probably won’t have enough heat to cook the quinoa because of the other ingredients.)

3. Stir as required to prevent sticking at the bottom.

4. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Have you ever had a quinoa pilaff? What’s your favorite way to season quinoa?

Low Fat Vegan Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats

October 24, 2012 by Veronica Grace 17 Comments

These vegan quinoa stuffed zucchini boats would make a delicious entree for a special dinner or any holiday occasion. I really think it’s important to have a nice entree when serving a holiday meal without meat so those who are not used to eating vegan feel more comfortable eating something more eye catching and filling than a plate full of vegetable sides.

Honestly I think that’s the major problem with people’s perception of a vegan diet. When you take away the meat, they assume they are supposed to just eat salad, a side of steamed vegetables and maybe some rice or a potato and this can get rather mundane day after day. I find that most traditional restaurants have no clue how to make a vegan plate and often just take take take without giving anything back. No meat, no cheese, no creamy sauce/dressing and you’re left with a tiny plate of vegetables with little calories (so you’re starving 30 minutes later).

Don’t let this happen to your family or dinner guests! If you want to serve them a delicious vegan dinner, why not have a beautiful entree like a stuffed vegetable? I have made Greek Stuffed Eggplant on the blog here, Greek Stuffed Peppers and Holiday Stuffed Acorn Squash in my new ebook here. All of them contain rice, so let’s switch it up and try quinoa instead of rice for a change?

Now quinoa can be quite bland on it’s own so it’s nice to serve with saucy vegetables, or season it while it cooks (which is what I did in this recipe.) Then I sautéed it with cooked vegetables to let the flavors meld and then tossed in some chopped pecans and cranberries for good measure to add some more flavor and texture to it.

Most recipes I’ve seen on the internet for zucchini boats are based on ground beef and then topped with cheese and let’s face it, zucchini doesn’t have to be completely hidden by overpowering flavors for people to enjoy it! Zucchini lovers unite! Show everyone how delicious it can be on it’s own without being covered in meat and cheese. 🙂

Check out my recipe below:

(Vegan) Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Quinoa:

1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup vegetable broth low sodium or homemade
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper (as desired)

Zucchini Boats:

4 medium zucchini, washed
1 medium sweet onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 handful of greens like spinach, chard, beet greens etc. chopped
1/2-1 cup vegetable broth low sodium or homemade (to cook with)
2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp cranberries (apple juice sweetened)
1/4 tsp Herbamare or salt (or as desired)
Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Soak the quinoa in a bowl of cool water for 15 minutes.

2. Fill a large 6 quart/litre pot with water and bring to a boil.

3. While waiting for pot to boil, drain quinoa, add vegetable broth 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, thyme and salt and pepper to a small pot. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff and set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 375 F / 191 C and add zucchinis whole to the large pot of water and boil for 15 minutes until tender. Set aside on racks to cool.

5. Slice zucchinis in half and scoop out the middle seeds, leaving enough flesh to hold the zucchini together. Chop the flesh and set aside. (You can use or discard the seeds if you wish. I discard most of them in favor of the other diced vegetables I’m using)

6. Meanwhile in a large skillet or wok add 1/2 cup vegetable broth and heat over medium high heat. When hot, add onions carrots and thyme. Sauté for 2 or 3 minutes and then add celery, some of the zucchini pulp, balsamic vinegar and garlic. Continue cooking until tender. Add more broth if needed to prevent sticking. Toss in pecans, cranberries, and quinoa and season with salt and pepper as desired.

7. If desired sprinkle some balsamic vinegar and/or salt lightly on the inside of the zucchini boats. Stuff the zucchini with filling mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tender.

8. Serve warm.

Please note: you will not have room for all the other vegetables and quinoa if you use all of the zucchini pulp and seeds. So i just use the pulp and chop it and discard the heavily seeded parts.

I served these with traditional Thanksgiving sides like Garlic Mashed Potatoes and stuffing. For more Thanksgiving and other delicious entree recipes check out my new recipe ebook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World. (Some favorite holiday recipes include Holiday Stuffed Acorn Squash, Garlic Mashed Potatoes With Mushrooms and Onions, Cranberry Pecan Holiday Stuffing, Holiday Yam Pecan Casserole, The Best Cabbage Rolls and more.)

Have you ever had stuffed zucchini before or any other stuffed vegetable?

Super Protein Packed Spinach Salad With Quinoa, Chickpeas and Creamy Orange Hemp Seed Dressing

July 17, 2012 by Veronica Grace 36 Comments

I think it’s time for more salads. Yes, sometimes you can get tired of the same old ones, so I wanted to create a better recipe that was all around tasty, just like you’d find at a vegetarian restaurant.

All salads are not created equal of course… sometimes you just eat one because they’re good for you and you feel you’re “supposed to”. Other times you might have a delicious and gourmet salad at a restaurant, but it’s not really on the healthy side as it’s loaded with things like feta cheese, creamy dressing, bacon, battered chicken strips etc. If you’re vegan you may have a love/hate relationship with eating salads at restaurants. Sometimes they are ok but often they don’t have many ingredients in them so you can have a rather small meal and let’s face it vegan salad dressing options at restaurants flat out SUCK.

Never fear, I am here to bring to you…

THE ONE SPINACH SALAD TO RULE THEM ALL!

This salad is so good that you will actually crave more of it… You might even gets your kids or husband begging for it regularly. In fact I would bet that any vegetarian restaurant would be thrilled to have my super spinach salad on their menu.

What’s the secret to an amazing salad? Well several things, first picking delicious ready-to-go ingredients that go well together, second that are healthy and lastly and more importantly are satisfying and filling but without all the guilt! (And it doesn’t hurt to top this salad off with my killer Creamy Orange Hemp Seed Dressing either).

I am NOT a fan of store bought dressing. In fact I despise it. If you’re in North America like I am you know there is often an ENTIRE wall of salad dressings at the grocery store. And yet still picking out a dressing that is tasty, healthy and you don’t get tired of is really hard.

Could it be that your taste buds are smart enough to know your body shouldn’t be consuming the same oily, vinegary, high fructose corn syrupy dressing all the time?

That may well be… Even just reading the ingredients in most salad dressings is enough to make me want to gag. Where’s the real ingredients and real flavour?

Well your salad dressing problem is solved! I guarantee that you’re going to love this protein packed spinach salad. I know it’s definitely going into my weekly lunch menu for myself. And my Creamy Orange Hemp Dressing is very delicious and will complement it perfectly.

BTW did I mention the dressing is also completely oil free? (Your pants should be rejoicing right now!)

Eat To Live fans will be happy to know that this is a Dr. Fuhrman style salad packed with nutrient dense ingredients that will curb your appetite and stimulate weight-loss as well.

Let there be salad:

Super Protein Packed Spinach Salad With Quinoa, Chickpeas, Tempeh and Cranberries

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2-3 cups packed baby spinach
1/4 cup cooked quinoa (see my post here on how to cook quinoa)
1/3 cup cooked chickpeas (I used Eden Organics)
2 strips of cooked tempeh (I used Sesame Garlic Marinated Tempeh) or smoked tofu (optional)
1/4 cup shredded carrot (store bought is fine)
1 tbsp dried cranberries (I used apple juice sweetened ones)
small handful of micro greens or sprouts

Directions:

Arrange salad ingredients into a large bowl and garnish with micro greens or sprouts as desired. Top with dressing.

Raw Vegan Creamy Orange Hemp Heart Dressing:

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fresh orange juice from 1 medium orange (use sweet oranges)
1 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp hemp hearts/seeds (sub sesame or tahini if you can’t find)
1 tsp fresh ginger
2 small dates pitted and chopped (soaked if you don’t have a Vitamix)
1/8 tsp Herbamare or salt

Directions:

Place all ingredients in Vitamix or blender and blend until smooth. Taste test and add more ginger, vinegar or salt if desired. Blend again.

Yields 1/2 cup of dressing. Best used within 3 days due to the nature of raw ingredients.

Variations:

You can add a plethora of other ingredients into your protein packed spinach salad such as tomatoes, cucumbers, apple slices, other dried fruits, etc. What really makes this salad filling is the addition of quinoa and chickpeas, so it’s also a great salad to take to work without needing a giant salad container.

What’s your favourite dressing for spinach salad?

Like this recipe? Get more here.

Fat Free Vegan Cabbage Soup (Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe For Weight Loss)

May 22, 2012 by Veronica Grace 72 Comments

Today I have a really healthy and easy recipe for you, especially if you’re interested in losing some weight, feeling better and eating more home cooked food. It’s a delicious spin on cabbage soup. No this is not the recipe from the Cabbage Soup Diet (which after looking at makes me think it kinda sucks…) Mine features whole homemade ingredients without any packages of soup seasoning, V8 or chemical flavour enhancers.

The point of the cabbage soup in the cabbage soup diet is to fill you up on broth and vegetables in place of one meal a day so that you can lose weight fairly easily without crash dieting or being hungry.

A Healthier Alternative To The Cabbage Soup Diet

If you wanted a healthy guideline to lose some weight a safe and manageable way it would be to just eat fruits, lots of vegetables (even baked potatoes, sweet potatoes and squash are ok) and homemade vegetable soup (should be oil/cream free). You want to fill up on lower calorie high fibre nutrient dense foods. You could also have some beans or homemade hummus to go with your meals if desired as well. People gain weight because they eat too many rich foods like fried foods, meat, cheese, cream, butter, pastries, and bread products with oil in/on them. Even eating a diet of just potatoes wouldn’t cause you to gain weight, but if you slathered every potato in butter, sour cream and bacon it would become far too rich to achieve weight loss.

Actually I put a friend of mine on a fat free (and also no bread or flour products) diet back in September and she’s lost 50 lbs already just by eating more homemade meals and making sure they were based on foods like potatoes, vegetables and even rice instead of meat, bread, pastries and dairy products. She’s doing great and still enjoys eating this way every day.

One thing people think when it comes to alternative “healthier” lifestyles it that they will always hate it, never be able to do it or even starve to death (maybe even get bored to death too!). Let me tell you that is not the case. I started eating more raw and vegan for health reasons, not because I didn’t like how steak or chicken tasted. (Hey I’m being honest!) But now I’ve been eating vegetable based dishes for so long that I actually don’t miss or crave any animal foods at all. I really couldn’t imagine eating them again. I actually enjoy the food I eat now even more than the food I used to eat. (Whatever you do most often now, you tend to like even more than what you used to do back then. It’s just the way the brain perceives things. Recent events tend to be better than past events a lot of the time because their more clear in our minds.) I like vegetables so much that if I go to a regular restaurant and get a pasta dish or soup that has hardly any vegetables in it, I get sad and want more vegetables! I could never just eat a big plate of plain spaghetti and sauce anymore, I love putting vegetables or lentils in it to give it more flavour.

People may think all vegans eat are carrots, broccoli and celery, but that is simply not true. In fact I eat a much wider variety of ALL plant foods now than I ever did before. I can’t even say I have a favourite fruit or vegetable. I love many of them like cherries, mangoes, watermelon, white peaches, Hawaiian papayas, pineapple, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, eggplant, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, Thai pumpkin, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms and more. I wouldn’t be able to choose any of those as my favourite. I eat an even bigger variety than these, but these are some foods I really enjoy eating regularly and never get sick of eating. (This doesn’t even includes all the beans, legumes and whole grains I enjoy as well!)

I made 2 batches of vegetable broth and 2 batches of this cabbage soup last week, it was that good. One day I had 3 bowls of it for dinner! At 108 calories a bowl there’s really nothing to worry because you couldn’t possibly gain weight by eating this soup.

Fat Free Vegan Cabbage Soup Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet onions, diced (like Vidalia, Walla Walla etc. They have light coloured skin and a slightly flattened top and bottom)
5 cloves of garlic, minced
10 oz./283 g package of mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
6 large stalks of celery, leaves removed and sliced
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 lb/454 g (1/2 head) of green cabbage, shredded or cut with mandolin
28 oz/793 g (or 2 16oz cans) fire roasted diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen Organics)
10 cups/2.5 qtss/2.3 L fresh vegetable broth (my recipes are here) or low sodium packaged vegetable broth
Herbamare/Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Saute onions, garlic and mushrooms in 2-3 cups of vegetable broth for 5-6 minutes until the onions are tender. (Mushrooms take longer to cook than the rest of the veggies, so we’re cooking them first.)
Add the rest of the vegetables, the thyme, the canned tomatoes, and the vegetable broth.
Cook the vegetables over medium heat for 30-40 minutes or low heat for 1.5-2 hours until the vegetables are tender.
Season to taste with Herbamare or salt and pepper. Add a little cayenne or chili pepper if you like the soup spicy. If you like your soup a little thinner you can add a little more vegetable broth or water if desired. But don’t add too much or you will dilute the flavour.
Serve!

Additional Tips:

This soup is almost like a cabbage stew because it’s so full of vegetables. I prefer to have lots of veggies in my soup and a little less broth. You can add a little more broth if you like really watery soups. (But this is already so low calorie you don’t really need to water it down if you’re looking for a diet-friendly meal.)

I found I didn’t need to add much salt to my soup as I made homemade broth that was naturally sweet from the sweet onions, carrots and thyme and the fire roasted tomatoes have enough salt in them already.

This is a great recipe that you can use for a soup base and just change out some of the veggies for different ones for variety. You can also experiment with different salt free seasoning blends. Just make sure you always add a little, let it cook for a few minutes and taste test before adding more, so you don’t end up with an over seasoned soup!

If you use a bowl or two of this soup with some fruit or a salad every day instead of your normal meal it will help you lose weight just like any other meal replacement plan. But this is much more nutritious because it’s homemade and packed full of vitamins and minerals from the veggies. Even more so if you make your own vegetable broth. There is no comparison for me between store bought and homemade broth, so give it a try sometime and you will enjoy homemade soups even more!

Even if you changed a few of the vegetables in this soup it would be around the same calories. Overall it’s a very low calorie nutrient dense soup.

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Serving Size: 1 serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories		104.0

Total Fat		0.4 g

	Saturated Fat	0.1 g

	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2 g

	Monounsaturated Fat	0.0 g

Cholesterol		0.0 mg

Sodium		254.9 mg

Potassium		562.3 mg

Total Carbohydrate		17.8 g

	Dietary Fiber	6.3 g

	Sugars	7.8 g

Protein		3.8 g


Vitamin A	97.3 %

Vitamin B-12	0.0 %

Vitamin B-6	9.9 %

Vitamin C	69.2 %

Vitamin D	6.7 %

Vitamin E	2.0 %

Calcium	10.3 %

Copper	9.9 %

Folate	12.6 %

Iron	10.5 %

Magnesium	5.5 %

Manganese	9.9 %

Niacin	10.4 %

Pantothenic Acid	7.9 %

Phosphorus	7.1 %

Riboflavin	11.7 %

Selenium	6.2 %

Thiamin	6.6 %

Zinc	3.3 %

Have you ever made cabbage soup before or tried the Cabbage Soup Diet?

Low Fat Vegan Cheezy Sauce For Steamed Vegetables

April 23, 2012 by Veronica Grace 23 Comments

Today I wanted to share a recipe with you from my upcoming second recipe ebook: Low Fat Vegan Chef Presents: Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World. All the recipes are done and photographed, I just have to write it and put it together. In total there is going to be about 60 recipes in it all with photos! It should be available in a few weeks, so keep your eyes out if you’re missing some home cooked comfort meals!

As I’m currently in Kauai (our second stop in Hawaii) and pretty much away from the kitchen (aside from throwing together cut up fruit, basic salads and steamed vegetables) I haven’t been making any new actual recipes in a week. I kind of feel like I should be making food, but when you’re on vacation you’d rather be snorkelling, swimming or taking pictures! (If you’re like me I guess!)

I thought this would be a great recipe for those not sure what to put on their steamed vegetables for dinner. Most of you have probably had some sort of cheese, Cheese Whiz or cheese sauce on your vegetables prior to eating vegan and have a craving for something cheese-like at the dinner table. Also sometimes kids (and even grown ups!) like to dip their veggies into a sauce or dip and don’t enjoy eating them plain.

Growing up my mom would always make this homemade butter+flour+milk+grated cheese sauce for us when we had pierogies, ham, mixed vegetables, or even a dish called Welsh Rarebit (essentially a fried egg on toast topped with cheese sauce. Her version anyways and no we’re not Welsh or Polish. I have no idea where these recipes came from!). We loved this sauce. We asked for it all the time, we wanted to pour it on everything and we wanted to dip everything into it.

Pretty much everything about my mom’s cheese sauce that made it delicious isn’t really healthy or vegan, so I wanted to create something that was much much healthier and still tasty for those who miss cheese sauce.

The trick to getting a cheese-like taste in your sauces is to use nutritional yeast (this is yellow yeast flakes that are sold at the health food store, this is not brewers yeast, quick rising yeast nor does it have anything to do with baking) and miso paste. Nutritional yeast has a cheese-like tangy flavour and can be used in sauces, dips, dressings, or even shaken onto salads and pop corn. The miso paste is what gives it a strong fermented salty flavour and gives the cheesiness more depth. Nutritional yeast and salt is really not enough, miso paste is essential. You can find this at the health food store or any local asian market. I usually buy yellow/mild or brown rice miso. I don’t use white shiro miso or red miso. But use what you can find. The miso won’t go bad and will last a while and you can use it for more asian sauces, dips and add to soup stocks or make miso soup with it. If you use my recipe ebooks you will find it in several of the recipes as well.

For this recipe I just used a pre pack of fresh mixed vegetables that I got at the store. I wanted to make it simple for people who are new to preparing fresh vegetables and don’t have a lot of time. You can also cut up your own assorted fresh vegetables, or use frozen vegetables as well. The key is to make sure you don’t overcook them and make them mushy. I am constantly checking on them while they steam and testing them with a knife to see if they are soft in the centre. When they are al dente and ALMOST cooked turn off the heat and take off the lid. The veggies will continue to cook with all the hot steam in the pan and they will be overcooked if you continue to leave the heat on them. Leave the cover off so you dissipate some of the steam. No one likes overcooked veggies! This takes some practice, but if you can set a timer and find out the exact time it takes when the water boils you will make things easier next time you make them. Broccoli is the first to overcook and cauliflower is sturdier so I usually put it in the pot for a minute first and then put the broccoli on top to cook.

Low Fat Vegan Cheezy Sauce For Steamed Vegetables

From Comfort Foods From Around The World

Serves 3-4 for a side dish of veggies

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk, unsweetened original (I used Blue Diamond brand. Don’t use sweetened or vanilla)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (available at Indian stores, spice markets and Amazon. McCormick also makes one available at Walmart)
1/2 tsp miso paste
Fresh ground pepper (if desired)
1 1/2 tbsp flour (GF if desired)

Directions:

Add almond milk to a sauce pan and heat over medium (or medium low on gas stove) heat until warm. Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast and smoked paprika. Whisk it in.
Add the miso paste and try to break it up so there are no large clumps. Let it heat through a little and keep whisking it. Taste test and add a little more smoked paprika and some ground pepper if desired. If you add more miso it will make it saltier so use caution. (You want a tangy zesty flavour.)
Gently sprinkle in the flour and whisk in to combine. Try to ensure there are no clumps. Heat through for a minute or two until it’s thickened up. Stir it to prevent it from sticking or burning at the bottom.
Have your steamed vegetables ready or turn off the element and cover to keep warm until your veggies are ready.
Drizzle over vegetables and serve. (Have extra ready for your dinner guests to add more if they wish.)

Variations:

Feel free to use soy milk, rice milk, hemp milk etc as desired. I just have a preference for almond milk and don’t enjoy the taste of soy milk myself. To change some of the flavours in this sauce you could omit the smoked paprika and add some garlic and onion granules instead or add some tabasco or chipotle chili powder to make it spicy.

What do you think of this recipe? Did you ever have cheese sauce before you were vegan? What do you like to use now on vegetables?