Date Sweetened Chocolate Chia Pudding

 

This pudding is so thick and decadent it's hard to believe it is vegan and refined sugar-free. I love to make this when I want something rich and chocolatey but don't want the sugar crash after eating. This is a great option for a vegan dessert that is healthy and satisfying. The Mayo Clinic lists several health benefits found in chia seeds including Omega 3s and lots of fiber to keep you feeling satisfied.

Date Sweetened Chocolate Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

6 dates

1 1/2 cups plant milk

2 tbsp rolled oats

1/4 cup cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup chia seeds

Directions:

Simmer the dates, plant milk, and oats for 15 minutes on low heat. You want the dates to get very soft and the oats to really cook down.

Pour the date-milk mixture into a blender and add the cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. Blend until everything is smooth and creamy. Pour this into a glass jar and stir in the chia seeds. Let it set and thicken in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

For 3 Servings:

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories	209
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4.4g	6%
Saturated Fat 0.7g	4%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 12943mg	563%
Total Carbohydrate 42.3g	15%
Dietary Fiber 9.2g	33%
Total Sugars 4.3g
Protein 4.9g
Vitamin D 21mcg	104%
Calcium 147mg	11%
Iron 2mg	13%
Potassium 219mg	5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Recipe analyzed by

Fajita Vegetables

These veggies are great for fajitas, but they are also really great to round out any meal that calls for a savory-spicy kick. With some cumin, paprika, chili powder, and liquid smoke, these veggies transform into a yummy Latin side dish. We often have them alongside refried beans and Spanish rice for a filling vegan meal.

Fajita Veggies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp olive oil (optional - you can also dry saute or use a bit of water)
1/2 a red onion, sliced into half-moons

Choose 3 or 4:
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into long strips
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and sliced into strips
1 or 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced into strips
1 small zucchini, sliced into thin strips

2 cups of sliced white cabbage

1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp  liquid smoke flavor

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Choose 3 or 4 of the veggies and add them to the pan. Saute until the veggies start to soften a little. Add the spices and stir to distribute evenly. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Serve with beans and rice, in burritos, or have them fajita style with flour tortillas and your favorite fixings.

For 8 Servings with oil

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	238
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20.4g	26%
Saturated Fat 2.9g	14%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1339mg	58%
Total Carbohydrate 16.2g	6%
Dietary Fiber 6.5g	23%
Total Sugars 5.4g
Protein 4.2g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 106mg	8%
Iron 7mg	37%
Potassium 691mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Recipe analyzed by

For 8 servings without oil

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	88
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2.9g	4%
Saturated Fat 0.4g	2%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1339mg	58%
Total Carbohydrate 16.2g	6%
Dietary Fiber 6.5g	23%
Total Sugars 5.4g
Protein 4.2g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 106mg	8%
Iron 7mg	37%
Potassium 691mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Recipe analyzed by

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

 

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are oil-free, refined sugar-free, made with whole grains, and are of course, vegan, but they are still really yummy with a nice chewy texture. I love these for a quick snack or as a sweet something after a meal. They hit all the right notes with whole grains, flax, and banana, which are healthy ingredients that when mixed with oats and chocolate make a great cookie.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp ground flax

3 tbsp water

1 or 2 ripe bananas mashed (to equal a 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Optional: add in 3 tbsp raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, or sunflower seeds

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the ground flax with the water and stir to combine. Mash the banana and then combine the wet ingredients (flax, banana, maple syrup, and vanilla). In a larger mixing bowl combine the wheat flour, oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well to ensure there are no lumps of cocoa powder or baking soda.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in any optional nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, or raisins. Place heaping tablespoons of dough onto parchment paper and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Tom Kha Soup

This soup is so delicious. It is savory, rich and super satisfying. It is a comforting dish when it is cold outside and has complex flavors for not too much time in the kitchen. I have been working on a vegan version for a while now and have found this recipe to hit the spot.

The Thai ingredients are easily found at a specialty grocery store. We have several where I live in Denver, but you could also find them online (Amazon Fresh carries the galangal, lemongrass, wakame, dried shiitake, and the Thai curry paste).

Tom Kha Soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tbsp vegetable bouillon

4 cups of water
aromatics (place in a cheesecloth or tea strainer)
1 tbsp peeled and chopped fresh ginger root
4 rounds of sliced galangal root (omit if you can't find)
4 1 inch pieces of lemongrass (use lemon zest if you don't have lemongrass)

1 carrot, sliced into rounds
1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms
1 tbsp wakame seaweed
1 leaf kale, chopped small
1/2 tsp sugar

1 can coconut milk
Fresh chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil in a saucepan and add the onion to the pan. When the onion begins to soften add the garlic and stir for about a minute before adding the curry paste and bouillon. Stir to coat the onions and garlic and then add the water and the packet of aromatics (ginger, galangal root, and lemongrass).

Then add in the carrot, shitake mushrooms, wakame, kale, and sugar. Bring the soup to a boil and let simmer until the carrots and mushrooms are tender (about 10 minutes or so). Finally, take out the packet of aromatics, stir in the coconut milk, and serve with cilantro, lime, and pan-fried tofu.

Serve with fried tofu, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Grilled Tomato and Pepper Soup

My Mom created this recipe last autumn when she was inspired to find a way to use the abundance from her vegetable garden at the end of the growing season. She made extra to share with us and it was so good, I had to get the recipe to capture here.

Grilled Tomato and Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

10-12 Roma tomatoes
2 mild green chilis
3 bell peppers

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 sweet white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 - 2 tbsp minced fresh basil (or sub 1 tsp dried)
1 tbsp minced fresh oregano (or sub 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

5 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable bouillon (or use 5 cups of vegetable broth)

Directions:

Heat a grill and grill the chilis and peppers for about 4 minutes per side. Cook them until they are just blackened. Then grill the tomatoes for about 6 minutes per side until they are soft and the skins begin to split. Remove the tomatoes and peppers from the grill and cover them so they will continue to steam a little while you begin to prep the onions and garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and saute until they begin to soften and the onions turn translucent. While your onions and garlic cook, peel the tomatoes and remove the stem end. Then peel the peppers and remove the stems and seeds. Chop the tomatoes and peppers (reserve 1/4 cup of peppers) and add them to the pan. Next, add in the herbs and seasonings (basil, oregano, salt and pepper). Give everything a stir to coat the veggies with the seasonings. Add the water and bouillon and bring the soup to a simmer. Partially cover the pan and let the soup cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

Blend the soup with an immersion blender or process in small batches in a blender (be careful not to burn yourself). Taste, and adjust the seasonings. Add the reserved pepper pieces to individual bowls as you serve the soup. You can also garnish each with a little more of the fresh basil and oregano. This soup is great alongside a garden salad, sandwich, or pasta dish.

Harvest Kale Salad

I wanted to find a way to celebrate the fall season and all the fresh vegetables with a salad. This combination was just the way to do it. I would love to get one of those vegetable spiralizers and use it to create long ribbons with the carrots and beets, but for now I just chop them up.

Harvest Kale Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 apple, diced
1/2 stalk celery, diced fine
1 carrot, sliced into thin ribbons
1 beet, thinly sliced
1 tbsp minced onion
1/4 cup raisins

1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup roasted nuts or seeds, I used these ones.

Directions:

Place the prepared kale in a mixing bowl and add the olive oil and salt. Vigorously massage the kale with your hands for 5 to 10 minutes. You want the kale to begin to soften and wilt.

Then add in the apple, celery, carrot, beet, minced onion, and the raisins. Finally, add the vinegar and the black pepper and toss to mix. Top with roasted nuts or seeds and dig in.

For 4 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 136 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 157 Calories from Fat 77

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8.6g 13%

Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 342mg 14%

Potassium 460mg 13%

Total Carbohydrates 19.7g 7%

Dietary Fiber 2.7g 11%

Sugars 10.7g

Protein 2.8g

Vitamin A 182% • Vitamin C 92% Calcium 8% • Iron 8%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Couscous Casserole

When I first moved out and was on my own, I bought a Simply Colorado Cookbook. It was an impulse buy at the checkout counter, and one of the first cookbooks I ever owned. I looked it up and they still sell it on Amazon, and I noticed the copyright date was 1992! That seems so long ago, now.



There was a recipe in that cookbook for Confetti Couscous Casserole that my husband and I really liked. The original had ricotta and cheddar cheese added, but I swapped those out and adapted the recipe to be plant-based. The result is just as good as the original that I remember from all those years ago.

Couscous Casserole

This recipe might seem a little long, but you just break it down into 4 steps so it's easily managed:
Make the tofu ricotta
Make the couscous
Saute the onions and pepper mixture
Assemble and bake the casserole

Tofu Ricotta Ingredients:

1/2 pound firm tofu, drained (this is half a block, reserve the other half for another use)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast (start with one, taste and adjust to your liking)

Tofu Ricotta Directions:

Crumble the tofu into a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix really well with a fork. You want to really mash up the tofu until it resembles ricotta cheese. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Couscous Casserole Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup couscous

1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup sweet red pepper, chopped

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped into raisin sized pieces
2 Tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp ground cumin

Optional: 1/2 cup vegan shredded cheddar cheese

Couscous Casserole Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x11 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Combine water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in couscous. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. You want the couscous to be tender and all of the liquid to be absorbed.

Coat a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and sauté the onion, garlic, and pepper until the onions have turned translucent and the peppers have softened.

While the onions and pepper cook, you can start adding the other ingredients to the couscous. I had room in my saucepan, otherwise use a mixing bowl. Add the onion and peppers to the couscous and fold in the tofu ricotta. Spread the mixture into the casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. If you want, spread the vegan cheddar over the top and return to the oven for 5 more minutes.

For 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 179 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 327 Calories from Fat 21

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2.3g 4%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 85mg 4%

Potassium 976mg 28%

Total Carbohydrates 61.8g 21%

Dietary Fiber 9.7g 39%

Sugars 2.2g

Protein 15.2g

Vitamin A 11% • Vitamin C 51% Calcium 9% • Iron 20%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Cilantro Lime Rice

This rice is a direct result of our love for Chipotle. We eat there quite frequently and have recently discovered that they send coupons via text, which is super convenient. Even though we love Chipotle for a quick, easy, and vegan-friendly dinner out, sometimes it is just as easy and satisfying to make you own similar meal and stay in.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (brown or white) cooked according to directions (This is 2 cups dry, makes about 6 cups cooked). Try jasmine rice - it is amazing in this dish!

1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp lime (juice from 1 fresh lime) OR do equal parts lemon and lime juice which is delicious
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced

Directions:

Make the rice. Then mix in the olive oil, salt, and lime juice. Mince the cilantro and toss that in as well. Start with the smaller amounts listed, and then add more to suit your taste.

For 6 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 65 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 245 Calories from Fat 25

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2.7g 4%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 100mg 4%

Potassium 76mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 49.3g 16%

Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3%

Protein 4.4g

Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 2% • Iron 15%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet