Triple Berry Smoothie Bowl

Smoothie bowls are a great way to eat dessert for breakfast, lunch, or dinner while still getting a large amount of nutrients. They also are a great way to easily hide vegetables for those of you who do not like to eat your veggies. Cauliflower, kale, spinach, beets, celery, carrots, zucchini and more all vegetables that are great for adding into a smoothie. (You can also get creative and use pumpkin pure for example to make delicious pumpkin spice smoothie.)

Now I know the concept of adding vegetables to something you think of as sweet may be weird, but I promise you they are very easy to cover up the taste. THE SMOOTHIES WILL AND DO STILL TASTE GOOD! My favorite fruits to use are bananas, frozen berries, and tropical fruits.

I also like a more creamy smoothie vs. a ice filled smoothie, so I try to use frozen fruit and vegetables. Frozen bananas, peanut butter or avocados also help to give this texture, along with using unsweetened plant milk. One word of caution, smoothies also are very easy to pack in unnecessary calories, so just be mindful of what you are placing into your food processor or high powered blender. You really usually do not need honey, maple syrup, sugar or other sweeteners because the fruit is natures candy!

So now to the good stuff, this smoothie bowl I used:

• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/4 cup frozen black berries
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries (half for in smoothie, half for toppings)
• 1/2 can sliced beets
• 1 large handful kale
• 1 scoop vanilla vegan protein powder
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp. flax seed
• 2 tbsp. chocolate PB Fit Peanut Butter

Recipe:

1. Place banana, raspberries, blackberries, half of the blueberries, beets, kale and almond milk into a high power blender or food processor. Blend until thick and creamy.
2. Add protein powder and mix just a little longer.
3. Place smoothie into a bowl (should be very thick)
4. top with flax seeds, the rest of the blueberries and PB. Enjoy!!

Meal Plans: Temporary Break

Hey all, I am slightly sad to announce that my weekly meal plans will be coming to an end. I have been excepted into the RN program and my writing will be slowing down due to the time that school will be taking from me.

Do not give up on me completely though! I will still be posting daily food pictures on instagram (pictures in this post are from my insta), so be sure to follow me there. Also, I have a huge bank of recipes now loaded up on here, so I may be starting to repeat meals now that I miss making. Be sure to watch out for the new recipes I occasionally will be posting! I will try to post one new recipe a week.

My new plan now for this blog is to post every once in awhile a new recipe that I try and to also post a meal plan monthly. What I mean by that is once a month I will post a new meal plan for a week.

For those of you who are just stumbling upon this page, the past couple of months I have been posting a meal plan once a week to introduce people to a plant based diet. If any of this interests you, be sure to check out my previous meal plan posts to give this life style a try!

If you are simply just trying to find ideas for dinner tonight, please check out the recipe tab on my menu. I will have an entire list of all the recipes I have made the past few months. This bunch surely should help you out!

I hope I do not let anyone down who look forward to these weekly posts, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out! I am always willing to give tips on this lifestyle!

Thank you for all the support so far. Even though I am backing off, I am not quitting completely, so please share with your friends and continue to follow!

Much love,

Dani

Black Bean Dan Dan Mian

Protein packed, low carb, high fiber and loaded with vegetables. Everything you want in a meal that even takes less than 30 minutes to make. What you will need for this meal is:

• 1 box black bean pasta of choice
• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. chili sauce (sriracha)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 bunch turnip greens
• 1/2 head red cabbage
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• sesame seeds
• 4 stalks green onions

Recipe:

1. Cook pasta as the box directs
2. Cut up red cabbage and turnip greens to desired size, then place in a large frying pan. Add the 1/4 cup rice vinegar and turmeric. Sautee until the turnip greens and cabbage are soft. (this process fast ferments these veggies and gives the tasty flavor unique to this dish.)
3. Once the pasta is done, rinse and drain. Return back to the sauce pan, and add the soy sauce, rice vinegar and chili sauce. Toss until all pasta is slightly coated.
4. To serve, place a portion of the pasta on a plate, top with the fermented vegetables, and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion slices.

Green Maca Oats

This recipe is very similar to my Green PB and Jelly, except that the oats have maca powder added to them. The toppings of these oats can be whatever you want. Pictured has frozen raspberries, small banana, and PB Fit peanut butter.

What you will need for the oats are:

• 1/2 cup gluten free oats
• 1 handful spinach
• 1 cup almond milk or plant milk of choice
• 1 packet stevia
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds
• 1 tbsp. maca powder
• cinnamon to taste

Recipe:

1. Add spinach, milk and stevia to a blender and blend until smooth and no chunks are left.
2. Add the spinach/milk mixture to a bowl with the oats, chia seeds, maca powder and cinnamon. Stir and cook in microwave for 2 minutes. (You can make on stove top.)
3. Take out and top as desired.

Chic Pea Falafels

I made Sweet Potato Falafels a few weeks ago and loved them, so thought I would give my favorite bean a try and make Chic Pea Falafels. Turns out, my trusty go to app had a recipe I could follow, along with an amazing green sauce to dunk them in! Thanks again Fork Over Knives, I learned another recipe and it is on my top favorites.

What you will need is:

Falafels:

• 2 can garbanzo beans
• 1 medium onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp. arrow root powder
• 4 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric

Green Sauce:

• 1 14 oz pack firm tofu
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup tahini
• juice from 1 lemon
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp. gluten free soy sauce
• salt to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste

Recipe:

Falafels:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place all ingredients into a food processor and mix until well combined, but not too smooth. (You want to leave a little texture so they are not mush.)
3. Take a small scoop or table spoon size scoop of the mixture, form into a ball and set out on a pan that is lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all batter is used. (Mine made about 12 balls.)
4. Bake for about 25 minutes, flip over, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
5. Take out and let cool.

Green Sauce:

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and mix until well combined and completely smooth. Serve as a dip for anything you like!

Hope you enjoy!

Dani

Green Pea and Mushroom Risotto

I was inspired by the Fork Over Knives recipe while I was reading up on recipes, so I decided to give this one a try, with a few minor spin offs. With that being said, I never had risotto before, plant based or not, so I had nothing to compare this to. (So I thought.) Once I finished making this meal and sat down to take my first bite, I was so happy with the results. It not only tasted delicious, but it reminded me of the home cooked casseroles that my Mom used to make me growing up. So, this meal easily turned into a comfort food staple in this house hold.

Well, to keep this post short and sweet, lets get to the good stuff. What you will need is:

• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 medium onion
• 80z sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 bunch asparagus (cut into 1/2 inch pieces.)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 4 cups unsalted vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup brown rice
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast

Recipe:

1. Put 1/4 cup cashews with one cup water in a bowl and let soak for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a large sauce pan, place vegetable stock, 2 cups water, brown rice, garlic, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until rice is cooked. (about 45 minutes.)
3. In a medium frying pan, add 1/4 cup water and the entire diced onion. Let simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and asparagus, turmeric, salt and pepper. Cook for additional 5 minutes.
5. Add in 1 cup frozen peas and cook until the peas have thawed. Set aside.
6. Once the cashews have soaked long enough, add to a blender and blend until a milk has formed. Set aside.
7. Once the rice is done, pour in the milk, vegetables, and apple cider vinegar.
8. Stir well and cook on medium/low for another 5 minutes so the flavors blend well.
9. Turn the burner off and let stand for about 5 minutes and serve hot. Enjoy!

April 8-14 Meal Plan

Wow, another week of 2018 is already gone and I need to prepare another meal plan. Where does the time go?! I am getting closer and closer to starting my nursing classes now. I begin this summer, so my meal plans will have simpler and simpler meals being included for souls out there like me who are juggling full time school, full time work, and social life. But, school has not started yet, so before this super busy schedule starts I wanted to try some new recipes out while I have the time! I opened up my trusty friend, Fork Over Knives App, for some inspiration on new recipes that I can grow from. Now, lets get started.

Featured Breakfast:

Blueberry Quinoa Flour Pancakes : Blueberry Quinoa Flour and Flax Pancakes

Pancakes are one of my favorite comfort meals, and this recipe is perfect because it makes for one, is easy, and does not require a bunch of steps.

What you will need for this meal is:

• 1/4 cup quinoa flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 flax eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp. unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 small banana
• 2 tbsp. PB fit
• cinnamon to taste

Meal Plan:

Sunday-Monday: Sunday night is going to be a day that I try a new recipe that I found on Fork Over Knives. The meal I am going to make is Mushroom and Green Pea Risotto. What you will need is:

• 1/4 cup cashews
• 1 medium onion
• 8 oz mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 6 cups unsalted vegetable stock
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cloves garlic
• thyme
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast

Makes 4 servings

Monday-Tuesday: With having a nice rice and filling lunch, Monday nights supper plan is an easy one, Sweet Potato and Bean Buddha Bowl. What you will need is:

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 2 can beans of choice
• 4 cups frozen or fresh vegetables of choice (some good examples are broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes more. Think colorful!)
• salt and pepper to taste
• nutritional yeast
• salsa
• 2 avocado

Makes 4 servings: Sweet Potato and Bean Veggie Bowls

Tuesday-Wednesday: A couple of weeks ago I am Sweet Potato Falafels and I Loved them! This week I am going to try some more falafels, but with a little different flavor. Garbanzo Bean Falafels with Green Sauce will be Tuesday nights dinner. Again, I was inspired by Fork Over Knives crispy Falafels, so I read and grew from this recipe. I will serve a very large salad on the side. What you will need is:

Falafels:

• 2 can garbanzo beans
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• handful of fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp. arrow root powder
• 4 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

Green Sauce:

•  12 oz firm tofu
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup tahini
• juice from 1 lemon
• 4 cloves garlic
• salt to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste

Salad:

• leaf lettuce of choice
• cherry tomatoes
• cucumber
• bell peppers
• more if you want

Wednesday-Thursday: Going to give some Chinese cooking a try this Wednesday night with some Dan Dan Mian. I love fermented vegetables and the probiotic benefits and nutrients they deliver. What better way to highlight them than with a pasta dish? I am also going to make this with  bean noodles which I stumbled upon at the co-op and have been wanting to give them a try. What you will need is:

• 1 box bean noodles (black bean, chic pea, or mung bean)
• 4 green onions
• 1 cup pickled greens (mustard greens, cabbage, more.)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp chili sauce or Sriracha
• 2 tsp sesame seeds

To make this dish more filling, you can serve a small side salad on side.

Makes 4 servings.

Thursday-Friday: I have been in the mood for pizza a lot lately, so I am going to make another pizza this week! (Because who doesn’t love pizza?!) Tempeh and Vegetable Pizza is the meal plan for Thursday night. This one will be with store bought mini pizza crust to make 4 personal size pizzas. I am also goin to give homemade vegan cheese a try with an Almond Ricotta. What you will need is:

• 4 personal size gluten free pizza crust
• 1 jar pizza sauce
• 2 packs tempeh
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp turmeric
• zucchini
• sundried tomatoes
• fresh basil
• green pepper
• vegan almond Ricotta
  • 2 cups slivered almonds
  • 1 or more tbsp. nutritional yeast (to taste)
  • juice from half lemon
  • salt to taste
  • garlic powder to taste
  • 3/4 cup water (add some if needed)

Like always, serve with a small side salad to make this meal more filling!

makes 4 servings

Friday-Saturday: We are going to celebrate Friday with some homemade Baked Fries! Potato Fry Buddha Bowl. The fun thing about this dish is that you can use a wide variety of potato types to make this dish very colorful! Using one purple sweet potato, one red sweet potato, and some Yukon gold will give a very colorful appeal. And, you can also pair it with your favorite beans and veggies! What you will need is:

• 1 purple sweet potato
• 1 red sweet potato
• 2 Yukon gold potatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• paprika
• fresh or frozen vegetables of choice
• 2 cans of beans of choice

 

Makes 4 servings

Like always, have fun and be creative with your fruit and vegetable choices! More colors and variety the better. Do not be afraid to buy frozen to make your shopping bills cheaper. And finally, remember this is supposed to fun and easy. If any of these recipes I share does not make sense or does not turn out, please let me know, and I will brain storm with you to make the meal better! Happy Cooking!

Dani

 

 

Tropical Nice Cream

Nice cream is my new obsession. A healthy form of ice cream, where the sweetness comes from the natural sugar and some from maple syrup is great alternative to the sugar and fat loaded ice cream you buy at the store. What you will need is:

• 1 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp. sugar free maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• coconut shreds.

Recipe:

1. Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until well combined and smooth.
2. Place into a bowl and freeze for about an hour
3. Scoop out desired amount and top with coconut shreds and enjoy!

Makes 2 servings.

Maca Powder Berry Oats

Another oat bowl post, but who can get sick of all the endless flavors you can make with oats!? This one features maca powder which adds many benefits. These benefits includes a richness in antioxidants, increases your mood, energy and memory, and balances estrogen levels. Adding this powder to food, like oats, will give you all these benefits.

Now topping these maca oats off with berries really makes this oat bowl an antioxidant power house! What you will need for this oat bowl is:

• 1/2 cup oats of choice
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp. maca powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 packet stevia (optional)
• cinnamon to taste
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup frozen dark sweet cherries
• 1 tbsp. flax seeds
• 12 raw almonds

Recipe:

1. Add oats, almond milk, maca powder, vanilla, chia seeds, stevia and cinnamon to a bowl or sauce pan and cook as desired (stove top or microwave.)
2. Thaw out the frozen berries, and pour on top of oats.
3. Sprinkle in flax seeds and almonds and enjoy!

 

Tempeh “BLT”

One of my favorite meals growing up was BLT’s. One of my favorite things to do now is to take these favorite comfort foods and turn them into something that is nutritious and delicious! Simply flavoring the tempeh a certain way to make it taste like maple bacon is an easy way to mimic the bacon part of the BLT without all the saturated fat and cholesterol! To make this sandwich a very filling meal, I served it with a large side salad. What you will need for this recipe is:

• 4 pieces of toast (gluten free if needed)
• Dijon mustard (you can use vegan mayo, but I do not care for it.)
• tomato slices
• romaine lettuce leaf
• 1 pack tempeh
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp turmeric

Recipe:

1. Cut tempeh into bacon like strips.
2. Place in medium frying pan.
3. Mix together water, maples syrup, soy sauce, and turmeric then pour over tempeh.
4. Cook on each side until slightly browned. The tempeh should soak up this marinade.
5. Toast your bread, and prepare veggies.
6. Once tempeh is ready, put your sandwich together and enjoy!

Makes 2 servings.