low carb snack plate (vegan, no sugar)
Earlier in the summer, I posted this recipe for low carb crispbread – a more nutrient dense alternative to traditional crackers. They’re packed with plant-based protein in the form of seeds and are a perfect medium for transporting all sorts of yummy veggie snackage to your mouth. (I’ve dropped the crispbread recipe below in this post, too, for your convenience.) I made a batch recently when my husband and went away for a long weekend to the Smokey Mountains because they’re sooo portable. From experience, I’ve learned I need to pack ample snacks or simple meals to keep my nutrition on track and avoid paying $9 for a salad (which…
raw granola (vegan, no sugar, raw)
(Printable version of this recipe are near the end of the post. This post contains affiliate links which help fund this blog but at no cost to you.) Word on the street is that most people who visit recipe blogs want the goods up front and without the life stories. I get it. I often do that too. #guiltyascharged So I’m making a slight change in posting format to get you to the recipe faster. However, I know there are a few of you who also enjoy learning more about the blogger behind the recipes. If that’s you, then you’ll definitely want to join my VIP newletter list where I…
vegan nut Parmesan (vegan, dairy free, gluten free)
(this post contains affiliate links which help fund this blog but at no cost to you) I think one of the hardest things about going “all in” with a plant-based diet is giving up the dairy…especially cheese. It’s one of the foods I thought I could never live without and believed it would be easier for me to be a vegetarian than a vegan. Thankfully, we’ve entered an era where it’s easier than ever to give up our “could never live without” foods, especially when our health is at stake. So today I’m sharing with you one of my favorite “cheese hacks” for salads, soups, stews or where ever…
ode to chocolate: a valentine’s day recipe roundup
Ahhhh, chocolate! Food in general may win men over, but you, chocolate, are definitely the way to a woman’s heart. God knew what He was doing when He made you a super-fruit and then gave us things like coffee and chili and peanut butter and dates to mix with you and make our taste buds swoon. The only thing, chocolate, is that you’re often paired with sugar and dairy milk and other sketchy ingredients which totally drags your healthy vibe down. So not cool. But I’m here for you, chocolate, and created this Valentine’s Day recipe round up which gives you the starring role supported by a cast of ingredients…
warming indian mulligatawny soup (vegan, dairy free, oil free, no added sugar, gluten free)
As someone who prefers to use medication as an absolute last resort, I’m always on the lookout for food and recipes that give the body a fighting chance against infection before medication is needed. And this warming Indian mulligatawny soup is just what the homeopathic doctor ordered. Chock full of spices, vegetables and a kick of plant-based protein from red lentils, this soup comes together easily even if the ingredient list looks intimidating. Actually, it’s exactly because of all these ingredients (which are mostly spices) that makes this soup an excellent meal especially during cold and flu season. For example: Ginger strengthens the immune system, helps with digestion and helps…
vegan nanaimo bars (no added sugar, no bake, paleo, gluten free)
Last week I shared with you a no-added sugar brownie recipe that is a certified crowd please. Today I’m sharing one of my childhood favorites at Christmas time – naniamo bars. They are a Canadian thing that should take the world by storm and are named after Nanaimo, British Columbia which is on Vancouver Island. BTW…Vancouver and Vancouver Island are two must see destinations if you like to travel. But I digress… These vegan nanaimo bars almost brought me to tears. The first time because I nailed the recipe which doesn’t always happen. The second time because I rushed the chilling process and they turned into a gooey mess…
rockier road vegan brownies (no added sugar)
Sometimes getting a recipe just right takes awhile. Sometimes the results are only good for the garbage (yeah, that bad). And sometimes they are an unexpected blessing. This last result is exactly what happened here. I can’t remember exactly what I was going for when I first mixed this rockier road vegan brownies recipe up. I think it might have been chocolate cookies. Anyway, whatever it was, it just didn’t happen. Except the results were exactly what I was going for in an chocolately fudgey vegan brownie recipe. Whooop, whooop! Then inspired by another recipe I saw in a vegan cookbook, I tossed on some chopped almonds and cacao…
carrot muffins (vegan, dairy free, no added sugar)
Since we’re in the season of getting together and gift-giving, I want to give you a better-for-you, better-for-them muffin recipe. A carrot muffin recipe and one that is free of any added sugar and full of vitamins and make-you-feel good ingredients. This time of year, it feels like we’re inundated with foods that are high in fats and sugars, doesn’t it? And even though muffins appear innocent, many muffin recipes have plenty of both. Especially if you add the pat of butter – vegan or no. Why am I so passionate about this? It’s because I’ve seen how much better I feel and how much better my…
mini pumpkin pie-lets …updated (vegan, dairy free)
As I was cooking for Thanksgiving last week, I discovered a bit of an oops in this recipe for mini pumpkin pie-lets. Originally, I posted that the recipe made 12 pie-lets, when really, it makes about 36. I have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote up the original. Total face palm. Hint: if you want more than a little pastry leftover to make these, then make two dozen mini pumpkin pie-lets and eat the leftover filling like pumpkin mousse. I updated the recipe in the original post plus made a slight tweak to the spices because I can’t help it…I’m always experimenting! I found that I liked…
jam roll (vegan, added sugar free, nut free)
Growing up, I always knew pie meant one thing…jam roll. I’m not sure where the tradition started, but I remember my English grandmother and my mom making them – often using strawberry or raspberry jam as the filling. It’s a completely genius way to use up scraps of pastry left over from pastry making and there’s something so right about warm jam between a crispy layer of pastry. Here’s how it’s done. 1. Reform your pastry scraps into a ball and roll out to 1/8″-1/4″ thick. 2. Spread a thin layer of jam over the pastry bringing it almost to the edges. To keep it added sugar…