Apple Cinnamon Blender Waffles

This recipe is great because it only takes a blender and a measuring cup to make these waffles. They are hearty, filling, gluten-free, and a great vegan breakfast. Slather on some nut butter, top with yogurt and fruit, or go classic with vegan butter and maple syrup.

Apple Cinnamon Blender Waffles

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups soy milk

3 tbsp white vinegar

3 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 an apple, diced small (optional)

Directions:

Put the dry ingredients into your blender and pulse a few times to grind the oats and incorporate the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Then add in the wet ingredients and blend until smooth. Add the diced apple and cook according to your waffle iron's instructions. Enjoy with some vegan butter and maple syrup.

Radiant Green Smoothie

I recently started practicing Kundalini and am really enjoying this style of yoga. It incorporates mantras, chants, breathing exercises, and asanas and is very different than other styles of yoga that I have tried. Honestly, it seems kind of weird but is having a noticeable positive impact on me beyond the mat, which is awesome.  There are a few channels on YouTube with free videos to try and I really like the ones on the YouTube channel Kundalini Lounge. In researching this style of yoga, I came across a Website and found some tips on incorporating a yogic diet. This smoothie recipe caught my eye and I recently tried it, and with a few additional ingredients of my own, I absolutely fell in love with this breakfast. The healthy oils keep me full and the combination of the fruits with the spinach and chlorophyll is just so good! I had never tried chlorophyll before, but it is mellow in flavor and brings all the goodness of plant foods to you in a concentrated form - so cool!

Radiant Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 banana

1 cup frozen mango chunks

1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach

1 to 1 1/2 cups ice 

8 ounces orange juice

1 Tbsp liquid chorophyll

2 tsp flax seed oil

2 tsp brown rice syrup

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Tahini Dip

We adore this dip and make it about once a month for dressing salads, or as a dip for crackers or raw veggies. It has an almost cheese-like quality to it that is just so good. I have also put it over pasta and used it as a spread for sandwiches and wraps. It is very versatile and great to have on hand.

Ingredients:

1 cup tahini

1 cup room temperature water

3 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tbsp Braggs or tamari

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Directions:

Put the tahini in a bowl or jar and whisk in the water 1/4 cup at a time until the tahini has lightened in color and is the consistency you would like for your dressing or dip. It is important to add the water to the tahini before adding any other ingredients because if you don't go in that order the tahini will "break" and the oil will separate.

Once your tahini is blended with the water and creamy you can whisk in the rest of the ingredients.

Udon Noodle Soup

I have been on a YouTube food and travel video bender, and especially love TabiEats and Paolo From Tokyo. They make everything look so good and describe what they are eating with great detail. They are not vegan, but that's okay, I just veganize the recipes that look and sound good to me. This is one of those recipes.

Vegan Udon Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

6 cups vegetable broth (adjust soy sauce if your broth is salted - I used 1 tbsp Better Than Boullion)
Thumb size piece of ginger, peeled
1 inch piece of Kombu (dried seaweed for making stock)
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp garlic chili paste
1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed

1 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup sliced cabbage

2 cups fresh (or frozen) udon noodles (about 8 oz)
Sliced scallions to sprinkle on top
grated radish for topping (optional)

Directions:

Heat the vegetable broth in a saucepan with the thumb-sized piece of peeled ginger, rice wine vinegar, Braggs or soy sauce, Worcestershire, and garlic chili paste. Bring to a low boil and let it simmer for 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables. When the broth is done, strain out the ginger and the kombu.

For the veggies, mince the garlic and ginger. Then dice the carrot, broccoli, and cabbage. Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick pan and stirfry the garlic, ginger, broccoli, and cabbage until al dente and still somewhat crisp and bright.

Prepare the udon noodles according to package directions.

Put the noodles in a bowl and top with the stirfried veggie mix, ladle on some broth and top with the scallions and grated radish.

Adzuki Beans with Winter Squash

This is a simple and comforting winter dish that is healthy and warming. This recipe is inspired by the principles of Macrobiotics with seasonal, local and mindfully prepared ingredients.

Adzuki Beans with Winter Squash

Ingredients:

1 cup dried adzuki beans (soaked overnight in 3 cups of water and then drained)

1 tsp coconut oil
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
4-inch strip of kombu
2 cups of water
2 tsp vegetable bouillon

1/2 winter squash (e.g. acorn, pumpkin, butternut, kabocha)

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil in the bottom of a large saucepan or pressure cooker. Add the onion and saute until it turns translucent. Then add the garlic and ginger and stir for a minute or so before adding the cumin and coriander. Then put the kombu in the pan with 2 cups of water and the bouillon. Add the soaked beans and stir to distribute the seasonings.

If cooking this in a saucepan, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer until the beans are cooked through. Adding more hot water as needed. If pressure cooking, seal and cook for an hour on high pressure.

While the beans are cooking, prepare your squash. Discard the seeds and the peel and cut the squash into bite-sized pieces. Toss them with a tbsp of melted coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes (or until tender).

When the beans are done, add the cooked squash and enjoy. It is great served over steamed brown rice with some fresh cilantro sprinkled on top.

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.

Millennial Hash

This recipe is simple and very filling. I love the combination of the potatoes, kale, and avocado - it is so good!

Millennial Hash

This recipe got its name from my husband making a comment about me putting avocado on my hash browns "like a millennial"....because millennials are known for spending more on groceries than other generations and they apparently put avocado on everything. I think that is a great thing because avocados make everything better - including hash browns!

Ingredients:

1/2 bag of frozen shredded potatoes (1 lb bag)

1/4 cup finely diced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

4 oz button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 bunch of kale washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces

Salt and pepper

Tamari

1/2 a ripe avocado, sliced

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a non-stick pan over medium heat. I don't add oil. I find that if you leave them alone to let them brown, they don't stick and flip easily. I let them cook for 10-15 minutes - check them and flip them when they begin to turn golden brown.

While the potatoes cook, heat the onions and garlic in another non-stick pan until they begin to soften. Then add the mushrooms and the kale and cook through. Once the veggies have softened sprinkle them with salt and pepper and then use a little tamari or soy sauce to deglaze the pan. Serve the veggies over the hash browns and top it all with the sliced avocado.