black bean soup (hearty, vegan, gluten free, whole30)
Soups are made for winter and winter is made for soups. AmIright? This vegan black bean soup is no exception. Filling and hearty, it’s perfect for warming up on a chilly day. (And as a freeze baby, I’m always trying to find ways to stay warm in the winter. LOL) It also packs a hefty dose of protein. Although all plants have protein, if you eat an exclusive plant-based diet, you need to be a little more intentional about consuming your recommended daily requirement. It’s not hard, but it does take a little more thought. It’s one of the many reasons why I love this soup! Personally, I feel beans…
easy party appetizer: vegan rainbow black bean dip
With 2018 quickly drawing to a close (how is that possible?!), I want to end the year on a high note with an easy party appetizer. Use it on New Year’s, for the Big Game, for Cinco de Mayo or just because. In fact, I often prepare it as a main meal. That’s when I know I’ve hit on an especially good recipe… when I want to make – and eat – it over and over and over again! It’s why I featured as one of the 6 Day Sugar Buster Bootcamp. Plus it’s an example of how party foods can be fun and healthy. It’s a guaranteed…
south-of-the-border party dip (vegan, oil free, added sugar free)
I could happily eat Mexican-style foods most days of the week. It’s one of the few cuisines that easily adapts to a plant-based diet without extraordinary effort or feeling like something is missing. Meat- and cheese-lovers might disagree, but as a former meat- and cheese-lover, this is my story and I’m sticking to it. While this dip is made for the party scene, I also love it as a main, side or lunch any day of the week. It’s best when eaten within the first day, but can hold up in the fridge for a couple of days, although the avocado isn’t too happy about that. This south-of-the-border party…
easy black bean dip (vegan, dairy free, gluten free)
I have a gift for you today…an incredibly easy recipe for you to make and I bet you have all of the ingredients in your pantry. It’s been one of my favorites for years and is inspired by a recipe I found on the Whole Foods recipe site before I even made the transition to a plant-based diet: Black bean dip. Although the “dip” word would make you think this is appetizer-only, I love making it for our main meal with a side of raw veggies and hummus! All of the “meaty” plant-based protein coming from the beans makes it hearty enough for that. Because this black bean dip…
his ‘n hers secret ingredient vegan black bean chili
Before I adopted a plant-based diet, there were some dishes that I never made with meat. Like pasta sauce (here’s my go to recipe). And chili. Not sure why, but for some reason, I never liked the addition of meat in these dishes. However, once I went all in on the vegan eating, I knew I had to pay more attention to my protein sources. Let’s pause a minute on this while I clear up the myth that you can’t get “enough” protein on a plant-based diet… First, all plants have protein, though some have more than others (think nuts, legumes, beans, lentils). Secondly, our bodies don’t store…
loaded sweet potatoes with spicy guacamole and black bean sofrito (vegan, dairy free, soy free, gluten free)
It always amazes me how hard it is to find a recipe that my entire family likes. I often get close with a 5 out of 6 thumbs up, but hitting a perfect score of 6 for 6 is maddeningly elusive. So imagine my surprise when this loaded sweet potato with spicy guacamole and black bean sofrito was a clear winner. Even with my daughter who doesn’t usually like bean dishes. Or my boys who prefer mild to spicy. Let’s pause while I celebrate with a hearty “ole.” I love the contrasting flavors, textures and color of this dish…the sweetness with the spicy, the creaminess punctuated with…
the best basic burrito recipe (vegan, dairy free, oil free option, gluten free option)
I could easily eat Mexican food most days of the week. That and my favorite Indian curry. I love how effortless it feels, how easily it adapts to a plant-based diet and that leftovers go a long way. This basic burrito recipe is one of my go-to’s and is inspired by a recipe I found on Whole Foods years ago. One of the things I hope you will love about it is that once you have the basic flavor profile down, you can easily tweak it to your preferences…a little more garlic here, less tomato there, more spice, more lime). Once the basic burrito mix is assembled, here’s how…
