green kiwi smoothie and holiday talk (vegan, dairy free, no added sugar, nut free)
One of the things I love about eating a low added sugar, plant-based diet is how much lighter it makes me feel on the inside. I can’t remember the last time I walked away from a meal feeling sluggish and…blah. About the only time that happens is if I step outside my nutrition plan. While I do make occasional exceptions for this, after several years of eating a plant-based, diet I’m naturally motivated to stay on track because my body lets me know it is not. happy. when I don’t. (If you haven’t reached that sweet spot yet and want to, contact me here and we can talk…
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…
weeknight spinach tikka masala (vegan, dairy free, gluten free, soy free)
My love for Indian food – especially south Indian – has grown over the years and my favorite go-to curry sauce is this one. It’s one of the often-requested dishes from my boys (although they like chicken to go along with it…sigh). But, my girl…she’s a tough one! So far I haven’t won her over to that recipe, so you could have knocked me over with a feather when she actually liked this one. Praise the Lord. If you’re looking for a quick-ish fresh meal to make and one that rocks leftovers – this one is it! The sauce is the epitome of comfort food, Indian-style, with its…
building a better vegan BLT (+ VIP eggplant bacon recipe)
Today is National Sandwich Day. (Scratching my head over who comes up with these things, but we’ll run with it.) And what better way to celebrate than with a sandwich classic…the BLT? A vegan BLT. Let’s dig in. While it’s kind of hard to construct a bad BLT, there are a few tweaks you can try to make it even better both for taste and to give it a healthier nutrition profile. Here’s how: Start with whole wheat or whole grain bread. Whole wheat breads (and 100% whole grain breads are even better), give you the whole enchilada of fiber and nutrients and prevent sharp spikes in your blood…
vegan italian sausage soup (dairy free, soy free)
Last week, I shared my basic veggie stock recipe with you. Today, I’m giving you the perfect recipe to try it out with: vegan Italian sausage soup. When I first decided to go all in with a plant-based diet, I immediately thought of ways to replace meat-based dishes with vegan versions that closely approximated those flavors and textures I was used to. But when I started experimenting with new-to-me-foods like TVP, seitan and pre-packaged vegan “meats,” I wasn’t too thrilled with the results. You see, my goal in adopting this new diet was to get healthier and eating a lot of wheat-based and processed foods didn’t feel like it…
minestrone soup with sesame parmesan (vegan, dairy free, soy free)
(This post contains affiliate links which helps fund this blog but at no cost to you.) With fall officially peeking around the corner and an early chill in the air – at least around here – I’m starting to crave warm, comforting foods. Especially big pots of them for plenty of leftovers which matches with our busier back-to-school schedule. Like this minestrone soup. I first came across this minestrone soup recipe in this cook book while I was trying to find more veggie-based recipes but before I went all in with a plant-based diet. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since. One of the things I love about it…
snack to school week :: more spinach trees! (nut free, sugar free, vegan)
As I was dreaming up this week of recipes for you, I had several goals in mind: the recipes had to be quick and easy to prepare, offered healthier, more nutrient-dense alternatives to typical kid-geared snacks and had an element of fun to entice tiny palettes. When it comes to fruits and sweeter veggies like carrots, this isn’t so hard. But greens like spinach are another matter. Which is why I’m so excited to share this recipe with you! I’m mildly obsessed with it and cannot believe I hadn’t thought of it before. It’s ridiculously easy, free of nuts, can also be make seed-free and takes an already healthy condiment…
