Granola Bars Au Naturel

These bars are not too sweet,  nice and chewy, and have no added sugar or oil, which makes them super satisfying and good for you. These make a great snack, breakfast or dessert. I had never tried mulberries until High Carb Hannah mentioned them in her granola recipe. I found them at Sprouts and am hooked. They are sweet and chewy and remind me of a cross between a raisin and a fig. Yummy! If you can't find mulberries, you could sub 1/2 raisins and 1/2 chopped figs.

Granola Bars Au Naturel

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup mulberries
8 dates
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2-3 Tsp hemp seeds
Pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.

Press into a rectangle baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. These are slightly chewy and really yummy - store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Oil Free Corn Chips

These are easy to make and taste so fresh. They are great with vegan nacho cheese sauce, fresh salsa, or for the base of a taco salad. These skip the oil so they are low fat, but still have great corn flavor. You can add other seasonings such as garlic salt, onion powder, and smoked paprika if you would like. They are great plain, too.

Oil Free Corn Chips

Ingredients:

18 count corn tortillas
1/3 cup hot water
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tortillas into 8 triangles.

Mix the hot water with the salt until the salt dissolves. Place the tortilla triangles in a single layer on a baking sheet and use a basting brush to coat them with the salt water. Add a few sprinkles of salt and bake for 7-10 minutes (until they are golden brown and crisp). Repeat until you have baked all of the tortilla triangles.

Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes (Gluten Free)

This recipe is based on the one from the Starch Solution, but with a couple of adjustments such as the added cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Plus this is made to be gluten-free and low-fat, as well.

Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp flax meal
3 tbsp water

2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup non-dairy milk (soy works well)
1/2 cup sparkling water
3 tbsp natural sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour
2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Combine the flax meal with the water, and set aside to let thicken. Mash 2 bananas and put them in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the non-dairy milk, sparkling water, sugar, and lemon juice and mix it all together. Add the flax mixture and mix that in as well.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate container. This is the buckwheat flour, oat flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until there are not any large lumps of flour remaining.  Add the optional chocolate chips if using.

Heat a non-stick pan over high heat and pour 1/2 cup of batter into the heated pan. Watch for bubbles to form on the top of the pancake. You know it is time to flip the pancakes once the little bubbles pop and leave little holes on the top.  Serve with syrup, fresh berries, banana slices, or with a drizzle of nut butter.

These make 6 large pancakes.

Buddha Bowl with Sunbutter Ginger Dressing

Buddha bowls are more of a concept than a specific recipe. You can change it up infinitely and use any grains, veggies, and protein source that you like. This recipe is just to give you a jumping off point to create endless combinations.

As there are several components to a buddha bowl, it's the kind of dish that can be made on the weekend (or any day that you have more time) and then enjoyed throughout the week.

Buddha Bowl with Sunbutter Ginger Dressing

Buddha Bowl Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
2 tsp vegetable bouillon

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp coconut oil, melted.
salt and pepper

1 block extra-firm tofu, pan fried (in sesame oil, and drizzled with soy sauce).

1 bunch kale, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
Soy sauce

2 cups black beans

Optional: Sriracha or hot sauce, lime juice

Sunbutter Ginger Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (or nut butter of your choice)
3 tbsp hot water
2 dates (or 1 tbsp sweetener of your choice)
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp minced ginger root
Dash of ground garlic

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Buhha Bowl Directions:

Rinse the quinoa and place it in a medium-sized saucepan with the water and the bouillon. Bring to a boil before lowering the heat. Cover and let sit on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Once it is ready, fluff and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Prepare your sweet potatoes and onions. Place them in a glass baking dish and toss with the melted coconut oil. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper and put in the oven. Bake for around 45 minutes, but be sure to give them a stir every 15 minutes or so.

Cut your tofu bite-sized pieces, and put in a non-stick pan with some sesame oil. Let it cook over medium-low heat until the first side is golden brown, then flip the pieces over. When the second side is golden brown, drizzle with soy sauce, stir, and set aside.

Take your bite-sized pieces of kale and cook them in a non-stick pan with a little water. Let them steam until they are bright green. Drizzle with soy sauce and remove from the heat.

Put a little of everything in a bowl and drizzle it with the dressing. Add a little Sriracha if you like some heat, and a squeeze of lime for some acidity (makes the flavors pop) and enjoy!

Sunbutter Ginger Dressing Directions:

Put the Sunbutter, water, dates, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the tbsp of sesame seeds and drizzle over your buddha bowl.

Maca Maca Granola

I like to always have some granola on hand for breakfast, topping smoothie bowls, snacking, or whatever. I like to vary the flavors and mixes for variety and this combination has been a recent flavor. Maca has a mellow caramel-like flavor that goes very well with the maple syrup.

Maca Maca Granola

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tsp maca powder
1/4 cup toasted buckwheat groats (optional)
pinch of salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine the oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, maca powder and salt. In a measuring cup melt the coconut oil and add the maple syrup and vanilla to it. Pour the coconut oil and syrup over the oats and stir to combine. Put the oat mixture into a rectangle baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake the granola for 25 minutes total, but be sure to take it out and stir it every 10 minutes so it cooks evenly.

Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

This soup is so warming and delicious and it gets even better as the flavors combine, so it is great to have as leftovers too. This recipe is great in the winter or whenever you are looking for something hearty and satisfying. With some fresh bread and a glass of wine - this simple soups becomes a delicious meal.

Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
1 cup green lentils
8 cups of water
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bunch kale, washed and chopped into small bite sized pieces
4 tbsp vegetable bouillon (I really like Better Than Bouillon)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the diced onion and cook until it begins to soften and turn translucent. Then add the minced garlic and stir for about a minute (be mindful not to let the garlic burn) and then add the tomato paste, fresh parsley, the carrots and the celery. Stir that and let it cook for about five minutes. Then add the sweet potato, lentils, water, bay leaves, and the thyme. Bring to a rolling boil, and let it is simmer for 30 minutes or so. Check to see if the vegetables are tender and when they are - it's ready for the final steps.

Add the washed and chopped kale along with the vegetable bouillon. Let the kale heat through and turn bright green and then taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Lentil Chili

This chili is the kind that you might want to serve over a baked potato, vegan hotdog, or with vegan cheddar and some corn chips. I like that it has all natural ingredients but tastes rich and reminds me of the chilis I had in my non-vegan past. I made this in my Instant Pot and it was ready in just over an hour.

Instant Pot Lentil Chili

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup beer
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp blackstrap molasses
2 tsp vegetable bouillon
1 tsp agave nectar or sugar
1 tbsp nutritional yeast

6 cups of water
1 cup dried pinto beans
1 cup green lentils
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup brown or wild rice
1 inch piece of kombu

Salt to taste

Directions:

Turn your Instant Pot on to saute and add the olive oil.  Next, add the onion and the bell pepper and saute until they begin to soften. Then add the garlic and stir for another minute or so. The saute setting really heats up so be ready to stir and watch the veggies so they don't burn. Then turn the heat to off while you add the rest of the ingredients. I have found that it works better to turn off the Instant Pot between the saute and pressure cook settings otherwise it can cook unevenly because the bottom of the pot is so hot.

Add the beer to the pan and stir - it will serve to deglaze the pan and help get any burned bits of veggies off the bottom of the pot. Then add in all of the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, oregano, cocoa powder, paprika, liquid smoke, molasses, boullion, sweetener, and the nutritional yeast). Mix to coat the veggies in the seasonings and then add in the water, pinto beans, green lentils, red lentils, rice, and kombu. Give it all a stir and then seal your Instant Pot and set the vent to sealed. Program to pressure cook on high for 1 hour. Let the pot naturally release the pressure and then open to add the salt. Taste and adjust any seasonings to your liking.