Sweet Fig Muffins

Don’t forget to follow my Instagram, @thekellydiet, for more recipes not posted on the blog! Like this ‘Vegan, Veggie Mac & Cheese’!

Now onto these muffins!

I loveee figs! So every fig season I get very excited. – Note, fig season is late June through early fall.

With so many health benefits & such a delicious taste, you can see why I get excited for these little fruits!

One last thing before getting to the recipe. I am vegan except for that I use honey. I shared this a while back. But as I have been getting questions again as to why I use honey. See below 🙂

Honey v. Agave

agave nectar isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be: It has a low-glycemic index because it’s largely made of fructose, the single most damaging form of sugar. It has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener on the market.

Raw honey has less fructose than most agave & is the only natural sweetener with other health benefits, which include anti-microbial, heart-healthy & anti-inflammatory effects.

Raw honey is a natural, unprocessed food

I buy local, organic honey. Local beekeepers will not use dangerous factory-farming methods, & it helps maintain your local bee population 🙂

• Servings: 6 muffins
• Time: 25 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c quick oats (gluten free if needed)
• 1/4 c coconut flour
• 1 T chia seeds
• 1 T antioxidant powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 c unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 c organic raw honey*

*Agave nectar has a low-glycemic index b/c it’s largely made of fructose, the single most damaging form of sugar. Opt instead to buy local, organic honey. Local beekeepers will not use dangerous factory-farming methods, & it helps maintain your local bee population 🙂

Additional:

• Fresh Figs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Spray 6 muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl add & whisk all dry ingredients.
4. Add in your wet ingredients & mix until combined.
5. Use an ice-cream scooper to divide batter among the 6 muffin tins. (could also form batter into cookie shapes).
6. Cut your figs in half & lightly press fig slices into the top of your muffins.
7. Bake for 12 minutes. Enjoy!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

 

Butternut Squash Lentil Loaf

I love vegan meatballs & meatloaf. I have made them with vegan cheese, salsa, oats, coconut flour, quinoa, an assortment of veggies & more.

For this loaf I wanted:

• the main ingredient to be lentils
• a smokey flavor
• a yummy homemade glaze
• clean ingredients & a nutritious outcome

This loaf is great to make ahead of time & either bake or re-heat when desired. You can also freeze to un-thaw & reheat in the future.

You might also like my Mexican Vegan Meatloaf Muffins…

which can be found on my Instagram via this link – @thekellydiet 

• Servings: 1 loaf
• Time: 1 1/2 hr
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Credit: thekellydiet.blog

Ingredients

Loaf:

• 1 lb cubed butternut squash
• 2 C dry brown lentils
• 1 flax egg (Mix 1 T Flax with  3 T water & let sit for 5 minutes)
• 1/2 T coconut oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 C rolled or old fashioned oats
• 1 T liquid aminos
• 1 T balsamic vinegar

Glaze:

• 1/3 C balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 C tomato paste
• 1 tsp raw, local honey or pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp liquid aminos
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp paprika

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450F.
2. Spread your cubed squash on a baking sheet lined with a silpat. Bake for about 25 minutes or until roasted.
3. Cook lentils according to instructions on bag.
4. Mix your flax egg in a small bowl & set aside.
5. Heat the coconut oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add in the onion, carrot, garlic, cinnamon, paprika & turmeric. Sauté until onions are translucent & the mixture is fragrant.
6. When the squash & lentils are done, add all of your loaf ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Beat mixture on a high setting until squash is mashed & the batter is combined.
7. Pour batter in a loaf pan sprayed with non-stick spray.
8. Bake at 450F for 50 minutes.
9. While the loaf is baking make the glaze by simmering your balsamic in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Remove from heat & whisk in the rest of your ingredients.
10. After the 50 minutes of baking, remove the loaf from the oven, spread the top with your glaze & bake for another 5 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!

If you make this recipe, snap a pic & hashtag it #thekellydiet @thekellydiet- I love seeing your creations on Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook!

Use this loaf to warm you up during this cold season!

Sweet Potato Pie Cookies

Hello!

Today I just wanted to start off by sharing a quote that I came across the other day: ‘Speak to make yourself happy, don’t speak to impress others.’

For me, this means to always remember to truly be yourself. We meet so many different people in our lives and hang out with different groups. It is only natural that you may unknowingly act different or take on traits of others. With this I think it is important to remember who you are, keep your core values and not let others influence you too much. What makes you great is you! 

And now that we have covered some spiritual happiness let’s cover another inner happiness…. belly happiness 🙂

These Sweet Potato Pie Cookies resemble the filling of a yummy Sweet Potato Pie! They are not crispy but rather soft & full of flavor.

If you love the taste of a pie but have that healthy mindset, these cookies are perfect for you!

• Servings: 6 big cookies
• Time: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Credit: thekellydiet.blog

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 c old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 c almond or sunflower seed butter
• 1 flax egg (mix 1 T flax with 3 T water & let rest for 5 minutes)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp all-spice
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 c non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions

1. Scrub the dirt off your sweet potato. Poke the potato with a fork multiple times. Wrap in foil & bake at 400F for 1 hr 15 mins. (This can be done ahead of time to save time. Simply mash the potato with a fork when done & keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days).
2. When the sweet potato is done place it in a large bowl & mash it with a fork until pureed.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F.
4. Add in the rest of the ingredients to the bowl & mix with a spatula until combined.
5. Scoop batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to create either 6 large or 12 small cookies.
6. Bake at 350F for 17-18 minutes. Enjoy!

If you make this recipe, snap a pic & hashtag it #thekellydiet @thekellydiet- I love seeing your creations on Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook!

And play around today!

Cardamom Fig Smoothie & Fig Apricot Muffins

Oh yes, more figs! For fig nutrition facts & more fig recipes see my previous post. You can follow my blog to receive notifications when new recipes are posted as well as my Instagram: @thekellydiet.

So this post contains TWO fig recipes because I ate them together for breakfast & highly recommend you do the same.

I have made these muffins multiple times before using chopped dates instead of fresh figs. They are truly some of my favorite muffins. They are quick & easy to make as well as sweet & healthy. The sweetness come from raw honey.

The Raw Honey v. Agave Debate

I support a mostly plant-based diet. Things that I still use that are not vegan are plain greek yogurt & organic raw honey.

agave nectar isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be: It has a low-glycemic index because it’s largely made of fructose, the single most damaging form of sugar. It has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener on the market.

Raw honey has less fructose than most agave & is the only natural sweetener with other health benefits, which include anti-microbial, heart-healthy & anti-inflammatory effects.

Raw honey is a natural, unprocessed food (No added preservatives, colorings, or flavorings). Just the hard work of thousands of honeybees.

My suggestion to people concerned about harming bees is to buy local, organic honey. Local beekeepers will not use dangerous factory-farming methods, & it helps maintain your local bee population 🙂

Getting back to the recipes, this smoothie is 100% vegan & simply delicious. 

Let’s get baking!

Fig Apricot Muffins

• Servings: 7 muffins
• Time: 25 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 c old fashioned or rolled oats
• 3/4 c oat flour (Add oats to a blender & blend until reaching a flour consistency)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/3 c organic raw honey* or agave
• 1/2 c unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

*Agave nectar has a low-glycemic index b/c it’s largely made of fructose, the single most damaging form of sugar. Opt instead to buy local, organic honey. Local beekeepers will not use dangerous factory-farming methods, & it helps maintain your local bee population 🙂

Fold ins:

• 3 dried apricots, sliced & diced
• 1 large fresh fig, sliced & diced

Top:

• 1 fresh fig, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Spray 7 muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl add & whisk all dry ingredients.
4. In a separate small bowl add & whisk all wet ingredients.
5. Pour wet into dry & mix until just combined.
6. Fold in the diced apricots and figs.
7. Divide batter among the 7 muffin tins.
8. Top with extra fig slices & press slightly into the batter.
9. Bake for 12 minutes. Enjoy!

Cardamom Fig Smoothie

• Servings: 1
• Time: 5 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 a frozen banana, sliced
• 3 fresh figs, stem-removed
• 1 c unsweetened cashew milk (or other plant-based milk of choice)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cardamom

Directions

• Add all ingredients to a blender.
• Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

My dog patiently waiting for muffin scraps & getting to link my smoothie cup clean 🙂

Who will you share your muffins with?!

 

 

Cauliflower Overnight Oats & Porridge

Briefly describe yourself:

1. Dog lover (specifically my own dog, Batman)
2. Health nut
3. Wannabe Yogi & Rock Climber
4. Baking addict
5. Veggie advocate

Vegetables can’t talk so I promote their greatness! I don’t think my spirit animal is an animal at all, it’s probably a carrot.

How am I a veggie advocate?

• Even if I do not know you, I will tell you to eat a carrot.
• I will tell you to eat less meat.
• I will tell you to not disrespect a vegetable by frying it.
• I will tell you that ALL vegetables are yummy. If you don’t like a vegetable you probably aren’t preparing it correctly. Who likes the taste of raw broccoli? Steam or roast that puppy!

Are you….

• Still drinking soda (regular or diet)?
• Still eating ‘diet’ labeled foods?
• Eating meat?
• Smoking cigarettes?

Well knock it off, it’s 2017. We know what will kill us.

Now that I’ve gotten that off my mind, let’s talk about adding veggies to our morning!

So, I am currently obsessed with Cauliflower Overnight Oats. I love experimenting with food, so I usually make a variety of breakfasts in a given week. Since creating this, I have eaten a variation of Cauliflower Oatmeal every work day for the past 2 months… So yes, it’s good.

Why is it awesome?

• I love quantity. Because you are replacing some oats with a vegetable that has been broken down into tiny granules, you can add a lottt of it.
• It adds veggies to your morning.
• You can food prep it for the whole week ahead.

*Think of this recipe as regular overnight oats & all the different ways you can make it. I want you to make it your own by adding whatever fruit, spices or other combinations you enjoy the most.

Basic Cauliflower Overnight Oats

• Servings: 1
• Time: 15 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

Base Ingredients:

• 1 c cauliflower rice
• 1/4 c oats
• 1/3 c unsweetened almond milk (or other plant-based milk of choice)

Optional Add-ins (while cooking):

• 1 scoop plant based protein powder – I like Orgain
• 1/4 – 1/3 c organic plain or non-dairy yogurt (Top & stir in after cooking & slightly cooled)
• 1/2 T pure maple syrup
• Half a ripe banana, mashed
• Shredded zucchini
• Dash of vanilla extract
• Cinnamon to taste

A few flavor Ideas:

• Any fruit you have on hand, chopped
• Carrot Cake: 1/4 c shredded carrots, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 nutmeg, crushed walnuts
• PB, Banana: 1 T Nut Butter, 1/2 sliced banana
• Maple & Cinnamon: 1/2 T pure maple syrup, 1/2 tsp cinnamon,  1/2 tsp vanilla, crushed pecans
• Pumpkin Pie: 2 T Pumpkin Puree, 1/2 T pure maple syrup, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1. Add all base ingredients to a small sauce pan.
2. Bring to medium heat.
3. Stir & simmer for about 12-15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
4. Allow to cool slightly then add in desired flavors & enjoy warm.

Food Prep: I recommend multiplying the recipe by 5 & cooking up a big pot for breakfast all week!

4. Allow mixture to cool & transfer to a jar or container

5. Add in optional flavors

6. Top with the yogurt (optional)

7. Seal & refrigerate.

8. Grab before you leave in the morning. Stir in the yogurt before eating. Enjoy cold.

 

Before we get to recipe #2, here is a picture of my veggie lover dog eating some cauliflower rice.

Cauliflower Porridge

• Servings: 1
• Time: 15 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

Cauliflower Porridge:

• 1 c cauliflower rice
• 1/2 scoop plant-based vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Bowl/ Add ins:

• Organic plain greek or non-dairy yogurt
• Raspberries
• Almond butter
• Nutmeg

Directions

1. Steam cauliflower rice until tender. (I steamed mine on medium heat for about 5 minutes)
2. Add to a blender along with the rest of the porridge ingredients.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Allow to cool slightly & then create a Breakfast Bowl with desired add ins! I paired mine next to organic plain greek yogurt, topped with raspberries & almond butter & sprinkled with a bit more nutmeg. Enjoy!

What flavors will you make?!

 

 

 

Zoatsss 2.0 :)

A few staples I ALWAYS have on hand in my home:

• All of the veggies (of course), more specifically always carrots, tomato, peppers, kale & snap peas.
• Unsweetened plant based milk, either cashew or almond (My go to brand is Silk)
• Organic plain greek yogurt
• Halo Top- b/c we all have our problems
• Coconut, almond, & chickpea flour
• Fruit
• Black beans, chickpeas, lentils, quinoa, couscous
• Frozen veggie patties
• Either tempeh, tofu or seitan, anddd
• Old-fashioned or rolled OATSSSS

And I am talking the big boy oats. The biggest box or bag of organic oats you can get, I buy. My local, natural grocery store, Fresh Thyme has a machine in store that mills their own oats that I am obsessed with. I have also gotten great oats at Farmer’s Markets.

Why do I buy in such bulk? Because of their versatility. I use oats for so many recipes in all meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinners & desserts).

For breakfast, people usually think to add fruit to their oatmeal. Make it even healthier by adding shredded zucchini, shredded carrots, or cauliflower rice instead!

Here is a recipe to add a few more veggies to your morning 🙂

Zoats 2.0

• Servings: 2
• Time: 5 - 10 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

Zoats:

• 1 c old-fashioned or quick oats
• 1 3/4 c unsweetened plant-based milk of choice (can use water if out of milk)
• Half a zucchini, grated
• Half a carrot, grated (for this I used a purple rainbow carrot)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp maple or vanilla extract

Bowl Idea #1:

• Organic plain greek or non-dairy yogurt
• Sliced strawberries
• Bee pollen (not vegan)

Bowl Idea #2:

• Organic plain greek or non-dairy yogurt
• Homemade Cherry Chia Jam*

Directions

1. Add plant-based milk to a small saucepan & bring to a boil
2. Stir in the oats & reduce heat to a simmer
3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients
4. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
5. Make a bowl out of it! Enjoy 🙂

*Easy & healthy, Cherry Chia Jam: 1) In a small sauce pan add 2 c organic frozen cherries. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, mashing the cherries with a wooden spoon. 2) Bring mixture to a low-boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer & let sit for 10 minutes. 3) Turn off heat, stir in 2 T chia seeds. 4) Allow to cool & keep stored in an air tight container or jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

TB to this homemade Multigrain Struan bread I made. It takes 2 days to make but is totally worth it! I topped it with almond butter & the cherry chia jam… perfection. What fruit would you make your jam with?!

 

 

 

Baked Overnight Oats

Okay this is my last recipe from this past 4th of July holiday weekend.

I was at my parents cottage & wanted to bake some healthy snacks for the drive & ferry back.

Now my parents are not the healthiest of people. This experience shows that you really can make something that is  yummy & good for you, with very little on hand.

While scouring their fridge & cabinets I was able to pick out oats, cinnamon, natural peanut butter, almond milk, yogurt & raspberries. There was no baking soda or powder, but I made it work.

This is my dog sleeping while all this was going on.

You can tell he was extra tired from all the activities by the mere fact that he wasn’t at my feet looking for some free veggies, as he normally would when I am in the kitchen.

So, how would I describe these muffin bars:

• They are the idea of overnight oats – therefore, feel free to change the recipe anyway you like. Use what ingredients you have on hand & what you like in your oatmeal or overnight oats.
• They are a great last minute breakfast or snack to grab before heading out the door.
• I meant to eat 2 for breakfast… but ate 3, & was extremely satisfied until lunch.
• Their main ingredient is quick oats (Can replace with gluten free oats if needed. While I feel quick or rolled oats are the best for baking, feel free to experiment with steel cut).
• Simple.

• Servings: 9 muffins
• Time: 40 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c quick oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 c natural peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter)
• 1/4 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other plant-based milk of choice)
• 1/4 c plain* greek yogurt (or non-dairy)
• Handful of raspberries (or any other fruit, seed, chocolate chips, etc)

*Most fruit flavored yogurts have about 26 grams of unnatural sugar while plain yogurts have only have 8 grams, all of which are naturally occurring sugars from lactose.

If you want flavored yogurt, stick to plain yogurt & sweeten it yourself with fruit, raw honey, or vanilla extract.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray 9 muffin tins with non-stick spray
3. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a fork until well combined
4. Distribute batter among the 9 muffin tins
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
6. Allow to cool before eating
7. Store in a sealed container. Enjoy!

We took a ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon. What’s a fun way you have traveled?!

 

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

When someone thinks of the 4th of July what usually comes to mind?

• Fireworks
• Warm weather
• Friends & Family
• Games
• Alcohol
• And of course, Grilling

As I knew I was going to be traveling to my parents cottage for the 4th, I asked my mom if she would pick up some frozen veggie patties that I could grill. I wanted to make it as easy as possible as I knew she would already be doing a lot of cooking.

Instead she responded asking if I wanted to make my own, which of course I did.

These Chickpea Veggie Burgers are fast & easy to make, yummy & a great food prep idea as well. Get out your grill!

 

 

• Servings: 6 patties
• Time: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
• 1 c oats
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 small zuchinni, grated
• 1/4 c fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 T hot sauce
• 2 T natural nut butter or tahini
• 1 tsp cumin
• Dash of cayenne
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Pinch of himalayan salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 T avocado or olive oil

Directions

1. Add chickpeas to a bowl & mash with a fork
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl
3. Mix everything together with your hands until well distributed & combined
4. Form mixture into 6 patties (can seal & refrigerate or freeze for later if food-prepping)
5. Grill at 400F for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through (You can also cook these in a pan if desired)
6. Add toppings or make a yummy bowl along with other grilled veggies!

What are you favorite vegetables to grill?!

Veggie Bowls & Protein Talk

Every vegan & vegetarian out there knows the annoying question, ‘But where do you get protein if you don’t eat meat?’ Then we calm our-self down from pulling out our hair & remember that many people believe the misconception that only meat has protein. Then we get the fun task of sharing a world of information with them!

First off, read some books or watch some documentaries! I like the book ‘In Defense of Food‘ & Netflix has a great selection of documentaries including Forks over Knives & Vegucated.

To make things simple, VEGETABLES HAVE PROTEIN!!! Not only do they contain a healthy amount of protein but they also are rich in fiber which meat is not! The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that the average american is getting twice the recommended amount of protein & lacking in their daily fiber.

Outside of veggies I get my protein from lentils, chickpeas, nuts, nut flour, quinoa, couscous & more. Most recently I have been on an edamame kick! A half cup of cooked edamame contains 94 calories, 4 g of fat, 16% daily fiber & 8g / 16% daily protein.

One last thing before we dig into some recipes… Now, I know that we were all raised with the same meat, dairy, vegetable food pyramid. You know how workouts & exercise plans have changed over the years due to research in order to make them more effective & yield better results? Well, the same has happened with food. I want you to consider this as your new food pyramid. Give it a shot, try it out, what could it hurt?!

So now that we have plant-based protein somewhat discussed, let me share some easy, quick, protein & fiber packed bowls to make for lunch or dinner. Get ready because I have FOUR yummy recipes below 🙂

Buddha Bowl

• Servings: 1
• Time: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• Rainbow cauliflower
• Shredded brussels sprouts
• Spiralized beets
• Sliced radish
• Light Life Foods, tempeh
• Rainbow Carrots
• Tahini*
• Pomegranate Seed

Directions

1. Marinate tempeh in liquid aminos (I use Braggs. This is a healthier alternative to soy sauce), set aside.
2. Simply roast or saute all vegetables except for the carrots
3. Saute tempeh on medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side.
4. Add everything to a bowl.
5. Top with the carrots, tahini & pomegrante seeds. Enjoy & be full 🙂

*Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds that are blended or processed until it reaches the consistency of a nut butter. This paste offers many health benefits, including healthy macro-nutrients & a range of good-for-you vitamins & minerals. Try making your own!

Sweet Potato Pizza Bowl

• Servings: 1
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• One sweet potato
• Organic pizza sauce
• One yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 T diced jalapeno
• 1/4 c black beans (drained & rinsed)
• 1/4 c vegan cheese
• Pizza seasoning (i like Flavor God)
• 1/2 c cauliflower rice
• 1/4 c roasted or canned corn
• One rainbow carrot, chopped
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Directions

1. Poke the sweet potato with a fork several times & bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hr or until cooked through.
2. With about 10 minutes left, cut open the sweet potato & top with the pizza sauce, pepper, jalapeno, black beans, vegan cheese & pizza seasoning.
3. Steam the cauliflower rice for 10 minutes.
4. Lastly, assemble your bowl! For the base add the cauliflower rice, carrots & tomato then simply add your loaded pizza potato. Enjoy!

Nourish Bowl

• Servings: 1
• Time: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• One serving black rice ramen
• 3/4 c orange cauliflower florets
• Handful of snow peas
• 1/2 c chopped purple cabbage
• 1/4 c Upton’s Naturals italian seitan
• Liguid Aminos
• Half an avocado
• Small handful sprouts
• 1 nori sheet, torn into pieces
• 1/4 c pomegrante seeds
• Nutritional yeast / nooch

Directions

1. Cook ramen according to directions
2. Steam the cauliflower & snow peas until soft – about 10-15 minutes
3. In a sauce pan, saute the cabbage & seitan in some liquid aminos for about 10-15 minutes.
4. Add everything to a bowl.
5. Add in the avocado, sprouts, nori & pomegrante seeds.
6. Sprinkle desired amount of nooch on top. Enjoy!

Protein, Rainbow Plate

• Servings: 1
• Time: 20 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 4 brussels sprouts, cut in half
• 1/3 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• Handful of baby kale
• Handful of spiralized zucchini
• One pre-cooked baby beet, sliced
• Frozen veggie patty (I like Morning Star or Dr. Praegers)
• Liquid Aminos
• Italian Seasoning (i like Flavor God)
• Beet hummus
• Pea Mash
• Nutritional yeast/ nooch
• Fresh basil

Directions

1. Simply add all veggies & patty to a sauce pan.
2. Saute in desired amount of liquid aminos.
3. As veggies start to cook & patty starts to soften, chop up the patty & continue to saute mixing everything together. (Total saute time about 15 minutes)
4. Add everything to a plate or bowl.
5. Add drops of beet hummus & pea mash (recipe in my Falafel Buddha Bowl blog post).
6. Sprinkle with desired amount of nooch & top with a fresh basil to taste. Enjoy!

Beet Protein Brownies

I have added small amounts of beets to baked goods & smoothies in the past. As long as you don’t over do it, you may not even notice it’s in there.

I got small baby beets from the Farmers market, so I chopped up one & added it as an ingredient in these brownies. I could taste the beet slightly (more so in the raw version), but was glad that I could because it punches a little bite!

A cool thing about eating plant-based & vegan is that all the batter I make I can also eat raw without having to worry about bacteria & getting sick. Sometimes the raw dough is even better than the baked version 😉

Oooh did I have fun with these brownies. From the same batter I created 3 different meals.

1. I baked the batter into brownies & topped it with PB2 & sprinkled on some Maqui Berry Powder. – I ate this for breakfast 🙂
2. I made a dessert bowl with plain greek yogurt, cacoa nibs & bee pollen. (Greek yogurt & bee pollen are not vegan & are ingredients that I still use often. I will talk more about why I still use these products later. Feel free to replace with non-dairy yogurt. I like coconut yogurt when using non-dairy.)
3. Lastly, I scooped the dessert bowl into a jar to bring to work for an afternoon snack.

So to clarify, with the same batter I created a breakfast, snack, & dessert… #score.

• Servings: 6
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 1 box organic black beans (drained & rinsed)
• One baby beet (about the size of a big radish), thinly sliced
• 1 c oats
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/4 c pure maple syrup
• 1/4 c unsweetened plant-based milk (I used Silk, Cashew)
• 1 scoop plant-based chocolate protein powder ( I like Orgain)
• 2 T organic powdered peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of himalyan salt
• 1 tsp baking soda

Directions

1. Add the black beans & beets to a food processor & process until combined.
2. Next add in the oats, scrape the sides of the bowl, & process.
3. Continue to add a few ingredients at a time (occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl & processing) to ensure that everything gets broken down & combined well, until no ingredients are left.
4. Now is the fun part! You can simply add the raw dough to a bowl or jar & be creative on what to pair & top it with. Or… pour the dough into prepared muffin tins or a pan & bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool & then top with yogurt, nut butter, whatever you like. Enjoy!

What kinds of pairs and toppings would you guys use?!