Plant Based U

Fat-Free and Low Fat Vegan Plant Based Recipes

gluten-free

Lower Fat Vegan Chocolate Pudding (Stove Top)

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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.

Low Fat Vegan Chocolate Pudding Dairy Free Gluten Free

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

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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!

Vegan Chickpea Quinoa Burgers with Lemon and Thyme (Gluten Free)

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Summer is here and it’s the perfect time to be enjoying outdoor barbecues and picnics. Everyone wants to enjoy a freshly grilled hamburger or veggie burger. But making your own is quite easy and insanely tasty without using oils or refined soy products. My chickpea quinoa burgers are soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free so they will work for everyone no matter how they eat. If you’ve ever made homemade hamburgers or wanted to, you can make these.

A simple food processor is such a versatile tool for making your own chickpea quinoa burgers. Mine isn’t anything fancy, just a basic mid sized one and it’s perfect for pulsing various ingredients to use in veggie burgers.

I like to top my veggie burgers with some fresh hummus (see my chickpea hummus here or my yam/sweet potato hummus here), sautéed mushrooms and onions (I use a little soy sauce and maple syrup to flavor them), lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. Cucumbers also work well in place of tomatoes for this chickpea quinoa burger as well as spicy mustard.

Find a nice whole grain bun or roll, toast the insides and top your veggie burger with all your favorite toppings. I also highly recommend some of my Summer salad recipes to go along with it such as Avocado Dill Potato Salad, Strawberry Spinach Salad, Shaved Asparagus Salad, Costa Rican Cabbage Salad, Sweet and Savory Asian Salad, or Rock my Broccoli Salad. So now that your head is spinning with delicious Summer recipes let’s get grillin’! Mmm hmm.

Vegan Chickpea Quinoa Burgers with Lemon and Thyme

 
Makes 10-12 patties (depending on size)

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed yam/sweet potato, cooled (1 medium yam, cooked)
4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup chopped red onion
2 cans chickpeas, drained and patted dry
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (stems removed)
2 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled (I used 1/2 cup dry mix of white and red)
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp Herbamare or salt *or to taste

Directions:

1. Poke holes in your yam and bake at 400 F for an hour or until tender inside. Set aside until cool.

2. Cook quinoa with a 1:1 ratio of vegetable broth or water in a pressure cooker or on the stove. (See my directions here)

3. In a food processor, add the garlic and onion and pulse until chopped finely. Add the chickpeas, thyme, lemon zest and juice and pulse until chopped and well combined. Scoop out flesh from yam (discard peel) and to food processor along with quinoa, pepper and salt. Pulse until well combined.

4. Form into equal sized balls and place on a non stick sheet or plate lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until needed.

5. Pre heat a pan or barbecue and press patties gently until slightly flatted and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, flipping once. Be careful to move gently so they don’t fall apart.

6. Serve on buns or lettuce wraps. (I find using a bun slightly bigger than the patty works best as they will squish a bit when eaten.

7. Store any patties in an air tight container and refrigerate or freeze until needed. (Leaving them uncooked is best).

Variations:

You can also use fresh dill instead of thyme if you wish for variety.

Also check out my Smoky Yam Black Bean Burger Recipe.

Have you ever made your own veggie burgers? What do you like to top your burgers with?

Whole Food Rainbow Watermelon Fruitsicles (Popsicles)

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I’m really excited to share this watermelon popsicle recipe with you today. It’s been a long time since I made popsicles (I think the last time I did, I was a kid) and they turned out so pretty! I also just got a new (used) camera to play with and am really impressed with the quality of photos it produces (and the much faster shutter speed).

I had a heck of a time finding some popsicle molds here in Canada. I happened to see a small basic set for at Canadian Tire, but just as I was checking out I found 4 sets of these cute larger style popsicles and quickly snapped them up. I haven’t been able to find the exact popsicle molds I have online, but there are similar types with drip catches and straws available here.

I also got to try out a new natural product. I received some samples of Habitall – All Natural Sugar Replacement, which is aspartame-free, sugar-free, and calorie-free. It’s made with monk fruit, erythritol and polydextrose. Normally I never use sugar replacements such as Splenda or aspartame as they give me headaches and I don’t feel so well after. But for those looking for a calorie free sweetener (that doesn’t have the awful aftertaste of stevia) I think Habitall can be quite useful and best of all there’s no negative side effects. I added a little bit to my all fruit popsicles just to enhance the watermelon flavor, as when they’re frozen it can taste really icy and less fruity.

My watermelon popsicles actually turned out really yummy! Habitall can be used cup for cup as a sugar replacement so I can also see other uses for it such as lemonade, muffins, cupcakes or cookies for those who are looking to reduce calories, are diabetic or are trying to get off sugar in general.

Want A Free Bag of Habitall To Try?

The company also gave me some samples to give away to 2 lucky people. So if you’re interested in receiving a bag to try, just comment below and let me know what you’d like to use it for and 2 comments will be randomly selected to win.

Right now they are doing an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to help get Habitall into stores at an affordable price for everyone. You can only get it through the campaign for now, but if enough funds are raised in the next few weeks you might see Habitall available soon near you.

Whole food watermelon popsicles are really easy to make and you can use pretty much any fruit juice or puree as the base and diced fruit for added color and texture. Next I think I might try mango puree popsicles with sliced strawberries!

Whole Food Rainbow Watermelon Fruitsicles (Popsicles)

Makes 16-20 popsicles (depending on size) I made 16 90 ml popsicles.

Ingredients:

4 cups blended watermelon puree (about 1/4 medium watermelon) You can also use cantaloupe if desired
1 tbsp Habitall natural sweetener or cane sugar *optional
1 medium ripe ataulfo mango, diced or 2 ripe peaches peeled and diced
1 cup pitted cherries, sliced in half (I used frozen) or raspberries
1/2 cup blueberries (I used wild blueberries)

Directions:

1. Prepare the watermelon puree for the popsicles. Seedless watermelon works best. Blend watermelon and optional Habitall natural sweetener or sugar in a Vitamix or food processor on high until smooth. Set aside. (You can leave out the sweetener if desired.)
2. Dice the mango or peaches (make sure they are ripe or they will be too sour)
3. Portion out the cherries and the blueberries.
4. Assemble watermelon popsicles. Place mango or peach in bottom of popsicle molds, next layer in the cherries halves (or raspberries) and then blueberries.
5. Pour the watermelon puree into the popsicle molds until they are full. Place popsicle sticks on top.
6. Freeze for 6-7 hours.
7. Before serving run the popsicle try under warm to hot water to loosen popsicles from mold.

Enjoy!

Disclosure: I was not paid or given any compensation to promote Habitall. I received free samples to review and to give away to blog readers. I paid for shipping myself. 

What is your favorite flavor of popsicle or what combination would you like to try?

Contest is closed! Winners were Lavisha and Brooke. Congratulations!

Eating Plant-Based, Vegan and Vegetarian in Miami, Florida

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Eating Plant-Based, Vegan and Vegetarian in Miami and Southern Florida

by Veronica Grace

Back In April 2010 I spent 10 lovely days in Miami, Florida. What a treat it was to have a little mini vacation from my “tropical paradise” I was living in at the time in Costa Rica.

I have to say it was a little shocking though to go from a tropical third world town to a subtropical first world mega city!

Suddenly certain frustrations like poor internet reception, poor road quality, lack of sidewalks and pedestrian crossings were a thing of the past.

For my first impression of Miami and the surrounding area, I only have great things to say!

Using an iPhone it was more than easy to google health food stores, juice bars, vegan restaurants and even raw restaurants.

I rented a car of course because the city can be a little daunting to a first timer with such a large city to explore with so many options.

I stayed in the Coral Gables area and it was a nice central location to grocery stores and farmers markets.


Here are my picks for Miami area grocery shopping for raw foodists and vegans:

#1. Glaser Farms farmers market

From 10 am to 7 pm. every Saturday, ?3300 Grand Avenue ?Coconut Grove, FL 33133

This is by far the “craziest” raw food market I have EVER seen. You want it? They’ve got it.:

Unpasteurized juices
Raw gourmet salads
Cashew ice cream
Frozen durian
Fresh fruit “pies”
Organic Greens
Tropical fruits
Raw crackers
Nuts
Seeds
Sprouts
Dried fruits
and more!

Basically we went there to grab some fresh juice, a slice of all fruit pie and people watched.  I have never seen such a crazy lineup of people buying prepared gourmet raw foods. It is kind of a novel idea being able to go to a farmers market and eat almost anything you want because it’s almost entirely vegan.  I have to say the cashew ice-cream and the avocado “salad” were the most popular items being purchased.  Instead we enjoyed juices like cantaloupe and honeydew melon that were simply delicious and  picked up a few random items to take back home, like frozen durian and a few pieces of fruit. All in all, it is definitely a must see farmers market but definitely not necessarily the best deal to purchase all of your food. Raw treats are expensive!

#2. Josh’s Organic Garden

Hollywood Beach Boardwalk
Ste 169, 101 North Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL?
(954) 251-1631?
Sunday 9am – 5:30pm

Josh’s Organic Garden is a great place to grab some fresh produce or spend the afternoon hanging out with friends at the Juice and Smoothie Bar.
We came early in the morning and found parking and walked along the boardwalk until we found it. Josh’s definitely has a great amount of greens and vegetables and fruits seasonally throughout the year.  He’ll even suggest to you what is worth buying each week if you ask! We purchased some mangoes, oranges and greens and then relaxed by the Juice and Smoothie bar and met up with local raw foodists throughout the day. The frozen durian being sold was a real treat, very delicious and reasonably priced.  The wait times for juices can be quite long so be sure to go really early or have some time to kill because everything is hand made on the spot and the juice bar team are busy all day.

#3. Robert Is Here Fruit Stand

19200 SW 344th St
Homestead, FL 33034
Ph: 305-246-1592
http://www.robertishere.com/
8 AM – 7 PM Daily including Holidays.

We drove down to Homestead Florida on our way to the Florida Keys and stopped in at Robert Is Here to see what the hype was all about. Everyone we talked to told us to check it out while we were in Florida.  Robert was on site of course and very friendly and cordial, we chatted a bit about his oranges and I told him it was my first time in Florida. We ended up buying a few delicious jumbo mamey sapotes, grapefruits, valencia oranges and some organic dates. This place is a great option to get some good deals on bulk citrus and other seasonal fruits.  They also carry a wide array of vegetables too.

#4. Whole Foods Market

6701 Red Rd, Coral Gables Florida (33143)
305-421-9421
8am to 10pm 7 days a week


This Whole Foods Market was absolutely amazing compared to the smaller WF stores we’ve seen in the past. There was a lot of organic produce, the navel oranges were pricey but to die for, raw prepared sauces, dressings, desserts all of course from Glaser Farms, and an enormous salad bar and hot food bar with a lot of vegetarian and vegan options. This was our favourite WF in the Miami area, we checked out the one in Miami Beach too but it was smaller and did not have as large of a selection.  I recommend WF to people who want to pick up a few items they cannot get anywhere else, or a quick treat once in a while. The prices are often steep but the quality and selection of foods is top notch.

#5. 4th Generation Organic Market

4th Generation Organic Market 75 SE 3rd Street Boca Raton, FL 33432  ph: 561.338.9920
http://www.4thgenerationmarket.com/

Mon-Sat 9-7 Sun 10-6

We stopped in at 4th Generation on our way back from Hippocrates Health Institute at the suggestion of Andrea Page-Nison as a cute organic health store we had tocheck out.  While it was a lot smaller than similar stores like Whole Foods, it definitely had a lot of raw items to offer.  A good portion of the deli section had raw pasta salads, mock tuna pate and crackers.  They also had fresh juices and frozen smoothies.  We picked up some all fruit smoothies and they were absolutely delicious, unlike most places that have bitter real fruit smoothies or artificial sweeteners added. Come here if you are in the Boca Raton area for some essentials or a quick bite to eat.

Raw Restaurants

Om Garden <- Best bet!

(unfortunately now closed, I am not sure why!)

379 SW 15th Rd, Miami Florida (33129) (at Broadway)
ph: 305-856-4433
Monday – Saturday 11:30am – 9:30pm, Sundays 11:30am – 3:30pm

Om Garden was our favorite restaurant by far in Miami.  We liked that they had a good mix of raw and cooked vegan items on the menu, which will ensure they stay open for a long time.  They were always busy and open later than other vegetarian restaurants so this is a good sign as well. The Rainbow Roll was amazing with flavours I would have never thought of combining and the fresh dressings for their salads were delicious too. Unfortunately they did not have any for sale, it would have been great to take home. The cooked vegan section also had a nice selection of healthy dishes offering lightly steamed vegetables, rice, quinoa, sweet and baked potatoes. All in all I liked the vibe here, the staff were friendly and it was definitely a place I’d visit again.

Lifefood Gourmet

1248 SW 22 St, Miami Florida (33145)
Monday to Saturday 12pm to 7pm & Sunday 12pm to 4pm

At the suggestion of a few raw friends in the area we checked out this all raw restaurant.  It was pretty quiet here, not many people attending for dinner as it closes early.  We ordered some apple juice, zucchini rolls, caesar salad and a raw pizza. The food was all right, we really liked the caesar dressing and a few of the dressings on the zucchini rolls, but there were a few things that seemed odd about the restaurant.  They don’t have a juicer, they have to blend the apples and then strain them for juice, the offer paper cups and plastic cutlery for dine in guests and there isn’t really any fruit on the menu. The staff were very kind and friendly but I can’t say this was a place we’d come back to try again.

Other Plant-Based and Vegan Restaurants in the Area:

Garden Of Eatin’

136 NW 62nd St, Miami Florida (33150) (at Martin Luther King Blvd)
305-754-8050
Vegan, Organic, International food, Juice bar, Take-out
Mon-Sat 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Jugos Naturales – 100% Natural Juices

115B SW 107th Ave, Miami, Florida (33174) (at Holiday Shopping Plaza)
305-220-3430
Vegan-friendly, Fast food, Juice bar, Take-out
Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Closed Sundays

El Mana Health Food

10676 Fontainebleau Blvd, Miami, Florida (33172) (at 107 Ave)
305-554-4448
Vegan, American food, Raw, Juice bar
Sun-Fri 11am-7pm

All in all, Miami and the Southern Florida area are all very raw and vegan friendly compared to a lot of places that I’ve seen. So no matter where you are you should be able to find a juice bar or a health food store to pick up a quick snack or meal and be on your way. The Florida Navel orange juice is also to die for and a must try if you’re from out of state!

I will definitely keep Miami in mind for future winters to soak up some sun and get some great tropical fruit!

Have you ever been to Miami or Florida? What did you find?

Fat Free Vegan Greek Rice Stuffed Peppers Recipe

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I have done A LOT of travelling in the past few years (visiting over 30 countries around the world), and Greece was one of my favorite places I visited. (Greek rice stuffed peppers were a favorite I found) Greece was pretty incredible and unexpected as I had never seen anything other than photos of ancient ruins or the white and blue houses of Mykonos on postcards. I went on a 2 1/2 week journey back in August and September of 2010 and visited many different places in Greece.

I saw the ruins of Athens, the rocky shorelines and picturesque houses of Mykonos, the rolling hills and mountains of Naxos, The Palace of the Grand Masters of Knights in Rhodes, the mesmerizing Balos Lagoon and Palace of Knossos on Crete, and the Tholos of Athena Pronaia Sanctuary and Oracle at Delphi.

I also took a ton of photos and wrote about that journey here. (I wrote about it on an old blog of mine and have moved it to this one). So if you are a travel bug like me or just love gorgeous landscape photography definitely check it out!

In my time in Greece I learned that there was much more than just olive oil and seafood to Greek cuisine. Traditionally the Greeks and Cretans ate vegetables, grains, fruits, seafood and olives. In fact their diet was vastly healthier eating homemade unprocessed food, unlike what they do now (which is more like a SAD Westernized diet drenched in copious amounts of olive oil and wine).

So what I took from my travels was using vegetables, grains and herbs in a way that complimented each other to bring out the full flavor of simple vegetable based dishes. The Greek rice stuffed peppers served in Greece are generally stuffed with ground meat as well, but occasionally I found some that were vegan without meat. Mykonos served some at the beach cafes and a Taverna in Delphi had some as well. But these versions used white arborio rice (Italian risotto rice) and were drenched in olive oil.

For my version I decided to switch to whole grain brown rice and remove the olive oil (for health purposes dousing all vegetables in olive oil isn’t recommended). So while it’s not “traditional” it is still very rustic and delicious. I’ve packed it full of dill, parsley and lemon juice so you get all the flavor of the full fat version but without the extra calories.

This recipe is featured in my cookbook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World which is available in a digital or physical version wherever you are in the world.

In fact it’s probably my family’s favorite recipe, my mom and even my friends make this recipe regularly as an entree for omnivores and they always receive rave reviews. So it makes me happy that something so simple can be delicious and satisfying to people on a wide variety of diets.

So scroll down for the recipe and get cooking!

Fat Free Vegan Greek Rice Stuffed Peppers Recipe

When I traveled in Greece I sampled several vegan versions of stuffed vegetables. Greek rice stuffed peppers was one of my favorites. I switched out the traditional Arborio rice for brown rice to make this a whole grain version. If you like the combination of lemon and dill, you’re going to love these.
Prep Time: 30 min Total Time: 1 hour 20 min

Yield:Serves 3-4 for entrées or 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients

6 large or 8 small bell peppers (any color but green)
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 small zucchinis, peeled and diced
1 cup / 236 ml. low sodium vegetable broth
3 cups cooked brown rice (or other rice or grain of choice)
5 Tbsp. tomato paste
3/4 cup whole fresh parsley, de-stemmed and chopped
3/4 cup whole fresh dill, de-stemmed and chopped
Half to a full lemon, juiced (depending on how lemony you like it)
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
3/4 tsp. Herbamare or Sea salt (or to taste)
1 lemon—cut into wedges (optional for garnish)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F /175 C. Cut tops off of peppers like you would a jack-o-lantern,
    remove seeds, and wash thoroughly.
  2. Place in an oven safe dish arranged upright and put tops back on. Bake for 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large pan, saut. onions, carrots and zucchini in vegetable broth for 5-6 minutes.
  4. Stir in the rice and tomato paste and coat thoroughly.
  5. Add parsley, dill, lemon juice, pepper, and Herbamare or salt and stir to combine.
  6. When peppers are ready, remove from oven and fill with stuffing.
  7. Place tops back on peppers and bake for an extra 30-40 minutes until peppers are soft.
  8. Serve additional wedges of lemon if desired.

Additional Tips:

I don’t suggest using green peppers. Green peppers are actually an unripe pepper and much firmer. They will not be done in time if you cook them along with red, yellow or orange peppers. To freeze: cut them in half lengthwise and freeze in airtight containers or freezer bags and lay gently in the freezer until frozen. Due to the rice these are best eaten within 3 days, please freeze any leftovers if you won’t finish them within that time. Rice can grown bacteria in a moist environment so it’s best eaten freshly cooked or reheated from frozen. Enjoy!

Variations:

If you don’t like the taste or texture of brown rice, you can use white rice or quinoa instead. Try different vegetables too, you can dice up mushroms, asparagus, celery or greens instead if you don’t have carrots or zucchini on hand.

Nutrition Facts: 6 Servings

Amount Per Serving

  • Calories 170.9
  • Total Fat 1.4 g
  • Saturated Fat 0.3 g
  • Sodium 325.7 mg
  • Total Carbohydrate 37.1 g
  • Dietary Fiber 5.6 g
  • Sugars 3.6 g
  • Protein 4.4 g
For more delicious Oil-Free and Low Fat Plant Based Recipes, check out my new cookbook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World:

                          On Sale $21.95 plus shipping!

Or get the Ebook version for $17.95 to download and read now!

Have you ever made stuffed peppers before? What are your favorite ingredients?

Soy-Free Vegan Tropical Acai Berry Bowl Recipe

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Whipping up acai bowl recipes are pretty easy. I like to use whatever fresh and frozen fruits I had on hand. This one is similar to my Acai Banana Berry Bowl Recipe , but it’s perfect for summer with fresh mango and berries. Acai bowls can be topped with your favorite fruits, but I know some of you have never had one before and are unsure how to make them at home.

Acai is usually sold in a frozen puree for use in smoothies, acai bowls and frozen desserts. You can also buy acai juice, powder and supplements, but I stick with the puree because it’s delicious and a little less processed.

Acai bowls are made up of frozen acai puree, apple juice or soy milk, frozen fruit, granola, fresh fruit and sometimes honey. If you do not have acai frozen puree in your country (I found it at the health food store in Canada and the USA) you can substitute about 1 cup of frozen blueberries.

This is a soy-free version which uses apple juice instead of soy milk to blend it together. You can also use fresh pressed apple juice if desired as well.

Soy-Free Vegan Tropical Acai Berry Bowl Recipe

 
Serves 1

Bowl Ingredients:

4 oz/ 1/2 cup apple juice (unsweetened if desired)
2 100g packets of frozen Acai (I used Sambazon Original Smoothie Packs)
3/4 cup frozen mango (sub a fresh mango if you do not have a high powered blender such as a VitaMix or Blendtec)

Garnish Ingredients:

1/3-1/2 cup low fat granola of choice (I like Galaxy Granola as it’s oil free)
1/2 -1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup fresh ripe ataulfo mango, diced
1/2 cup diced strawberries
Small handful of blueberries
Drizzle of honey or agave *optional (I don’t find I need this in mine)

 Directions:

1. Remove packets of acai and frozen bananas from freezer.

2. Slice the mango, slice the banana and wash the blueberries and set aside.

3. Add apple juice to your blender. Break up the frozen acai into smaller pieces and cut the plastic open and pour into blender. Add the mango. Blend on low or pulse to break up the frozen fruit. If you have a VitaMix use the tamper to puree into a soft serve. If you have another type of blender you may have to stop and stir and keep pulsing to combine. Stop blending when smooth.

4. Scrape acai mixture into a bowl.

5. Top acai with granola.

6. Top with diced mango, bananas, strawberries and blueberries.

7. Serve.

Have you ever had an Acai bowl? What’s your favorite topping?

Vegan Chocolate Cherry Blender Ice Cream

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With Summer coming soon you might be craving some sweet warm weather desserts. My favorite is always a fresh homemade blender “ice-cream”, which uses frozen bananas for a creamy texture and natural sweetness. Instead of my old staple of “vanilla” I decided to switch it up with some frozen cherries and I have to say I’m absolutely hooked on this recipe! Chocolate cherry anything was basically my weakness growing up, but this version is all natural and actually good for you so there’s no guilt!

All you need are a few simple ingredients, unsweetened almond milk, frozen very ripe bananas, frozen cherries, cocoa powder and a blender. I recommend using a Vita-Mix if you’re planning on making blender ice-creams frequently (along with smoothies, blended soups, salad dressings and home ground flours). But you can also use a regular blender or food processor (just make sure to let the bananas defrost a little and chop them into smaller pieces to make them easier to blend.

In my Vita-Mix this recipe is ready in about 30-60 seconds (reg blender a minute or two) so it’s easy to whip up. You can also serve it as a snack or a light meal instead if you want to! I often make blender ice-cream for my family or dinner guests and everyone raves about how delicious it is, they can’t even tell it’s vegan. All they know is it’s some delicious soft serve ice-cream. I hope you like it too!

Vegan Chocolate Cherry  Blender Ice Cream

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, or other non dairy milk
1 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder
1 large frozen banana (make sure it’s very ripe before freezing, this makes your ice-cream naturally sweet)
1 cup frozen pitted cherries (often found at the grocery store or Costco)

Directions:

1. Place ingredients into blender or Vita-Mix in order listed. (If using a regular low powered blender make sure to let the frozen bananas sit for 2-3 minutes on the counter to partially defrost. Then slice them into small chunks so they become easier to blend. Also cut the cherries in half.)

2. Blend the ingredients on medium low to medium speed. If using a Vita-Mix use the tamper to plunge the frozen fruit down into the blades until well combined (30-60 seconds). If using a regular blender or food processor stop the blender periodically to stir as needed. Blend until smooth and cocoa is evenly distributed.

3. Serve immediately. Blender ice-cream is best eaten fresh, but can be frozen if needed.

Variations:

Instead of cherries you can add different berries such as frozen blackberries, raspberries or strawberries. But you made need to add additional sweetener if using tart berries such as a tablespoon of maple syrup.

For regular chocolate ice-cream, substitute another banana for the cherries.

Have you ever had banana ice-cream before? How do you make it? 

Vegan Avocado Dill Potato Salad

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Plant Based Avocado Dill Potato Salad Vegan Oil Free

Now that it’s Spring and some of us are thinking about barbecuing, picnics and potlucks, I thought it was the perfect time to dig out this recipe I haven’t yet shared with you. It’s a delicious twist on potato salad using avocados instead of mayonnaise. I’m sure many of you have loved potato salad and often enjoyed it in the summer with your families. But traditional potato salads are really rich and not very healthy because of the mayonnaise and sometimes eggs they contain.

This version of potato salad is much better for you and is packed full of flavour. I particularly love the addition of celery and dill to this potato salad recipe. In fact, I’m sure it will become a family favorite and you’ll no longer crave the store bought kind.

I like to use baby red skinned potatoes for this, but you can use whatever waxy potatoes you like. Leave them skinned, or peel them your choice! Since mashed avocado is perishable you’ll want to eat this recipe the same day or the next day for best results. Enjoy!

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
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? 

GoGo Quinoa Minestrone Soup Review (Gluten Free and Vegan)

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We have a new food/pharmacy shopping website in Canada called www.Well.ca and I noticed they had food items on there. I decided to check to see if they had any vegan products and I was pleasantly surprised they had some vegan and gluten free combined products. I purchased a few including this GoGo Quinoa Minestrone Soup to try and review.

Reading the label I noticed it contained only natural and some organic ingredients. It was also completely oil free, low in fat and low in sodium. I was pretty shocked, but thought this was an excellent choice for a prepared food item. It only contains vegetables, quinoa and seasonings. The package says it has 4 servings, but I think it’s more realistically 2 servings for a hearty meal.

Ingredients: Organic white rice and quinoa macaroni, organic white quinoa flakes, tomato powder, green peas, red beans, carrots, red peppers, onion flakes, paprika, parsley, organic onion powder, salt, organic garlic, and organic tumeric. – That’s it! No oil and no chemical flavorings.

It’s very easy to prepare, you just boil some water and add the contents and cook until the pasta is tender. This pasta tends to get overcooked quite quickly, so it is best eaten fresh. If you only want a half portion I would try dividing the whole package ingredients in half as it’s a little too overcooked if reheated.

The taste is much better than instant soup cups and other dehydrated camping meals I’ve tried. The only thing I didn’t like about it was that the peas never really softened and were still kind of hard and gritty they weren’t very good even after cooking for 15 minutes and letting sit for a few minutes.

For a healthy fast meal I would recommend it, especially since it contains only natural ingredients, it’s vegan, gluten free, oil-free and low in sodium.

If you purchase these items on www.Well.ca (in Canada) you can get free shipping on orders over $25.  Otherwise you can order them directly from the company for a flat shipping free of $5 in Canada and $10 shipping in the USA. Check out GoGo Quinoa’s Website for more gluten free vegan items.

Just FYI. This is not a sponsored review. I receive absolutely no compensation from GoGo Quinoa, I just thought it was neat that they were creating oil free vegan and gluten free products which is uncommon.