Fabulous Vegan Recipes

  According to my calculations, this recipe should be about 64g of protein, when you add hemp seeds (which are not pictured and optional for this recipe). I never figure out calories or macros for recipes because 1. I'm not a diet or calorie counting blog and 2. I don't feel like ever doing that. But I'm highlighting the protein because I put emphasis on my own protein consumption (I lift weights and love it!). AND because aren't we always hearing that vegans don't get enough protein? Ha! This recipe is peeerfect for the start of fall as it's hearty, super nutritious and very filling.

Ok, so this sauce (or gravy in Philly speak) came about completely by mistake. I was making oil-free hummus and messed up so I created this sauce and it is unbelievable delicious. I added some cool veggies to the hummus and it gives the sauce a veggie soup kind of taste. Why was I making oil-free hummus? I bought this fat-free hummus by mistake the other day but I ended up liking it (it was all the usual hummus ingredients except the olive oil). I made some at home but the consistency ended up being way off and it didn't look appetizing. Then I combine with the tomato sauce and it was just so amazing tonight for dinner. So, savor those mess-ups because you can just turn them into another dish!

This creamy Alfredo sauce is not made with cheese or cashews; it's made entirely with veggies. Allow me to explain my inspiration for this recipe. Lately, I've enjoyed Misfits Market deliveries so my fridge is stocked with lots of fruit and veggies. You get lots of in season organic veggies that aren't "pretty". They have lumps and bumps or they are a little misshapen and are not sold. So Misfits Market sells them for 40% off the regular price and I get a lovely box of delicious veggies. *Keep reading for a discount code* I've already noticed that my diet is more whole foods, plant-based and it's only been two weeks. Why? I buy all my food from Misfits Market and I don't go to other stores and buy alot of other items. So the majority of what I eat are the veggies. After your first box, you can add other pantry items to your box (oats, snacks, berries, chocolate and so many other cool goodies). I really just don't need to buy more food anywhere else

This fall, I began counting my macros and focusing on increasing my protein so that I could start to really build muscle. I hadn't sat down and concentrated on planning out protein filled meals so it took some getting used to. And I also realized that if I didn't think about what I was eating, I would reach for sugary, carb heavy foods. Plant-based protein...that's what this blog post is all about. I'm going to give three meals as an example and list some of my must-have protein-filled foods.

This vegan lasagna is made with a cheesy root vegetable sauce. It is nut-free and not made with packaged vegan cheese. A meal made with whole foods, it's is delicious and nutritious.

It's been a minute since I've blogged. It boggles my mind to look back and realize I used to blog three times a week! I miss those days when I had that vigor and enthusiasm for food and cooking and photographing said food. My goal for the rest of 2018 is to get back to blogging and find my love for developing recipes again! Are we really halfway through the year??

Alfredo sauce....I used to order fettuccine alfredo at restaurants all the time before I became vegan. It's creamy and comforting and totally fattening and delish. So, I wanted to make a sauce that was just as creamy and delish but also healthy with whole ingredients. When you're buying the ingredients for this recipe, buy nutritional yeast. It's nutty and cheesy tasting and goes great in this dish. Nooch is perfect in sauces and soups and on top of popcorn tossed in coconut oil. Whoa, it's so good! At the last minute I added a carrot into this sauce so that it made the sauce more orange and added some sweetness. Turmeric, pumpkin and even a little maca powder...this sauce has everything and each ingredient has healthy, healing properties. I might make this for Christmas if I'm feeling up to it just to add a plant-based, filling dish to the table. It's fun to make Italian food for Christmas, especially when you're vegan. Everyone is carbing up on

I try to avoid buying bread because it's a trigger food for me...meaning I eat way too much of it. However, whenever I buy avocados and don't have bread, I'm kinda like...now what? If I had bread, I would make avocado toast in the morning, usually for breakfast. I had two beautiful avocados and no bread so I made this pesto sauce last night. There is nothing more awesome than a beautiful avocado, one that should not go waste, one that has no brown spots and is the perfect texture. One that should be savored as much as possible, usually on bread or in a salad. But when you don't have the ingredients for either of those, make pesto sauce.

I made this lasagna twice, once with the cashew cheese below and some packaged vegan cheese and once with this sauce and just a little packaged vegan cheese. You can make this lasagna with or without the store-bought vegan cheese....or just add a little bit of the vegan cheese to the top of the lasagna. This is a perfect family meal and one that kids will definitely love. My almost two year old niece loves pizza and pasta!

I had a bunch of organic cherry tomatoes and needed a recipe. I also have a ton of kale in my fridge as well as spinach (the greens are rockin at the farmers market)! Anyway, I love pasta-I don't have it often-but I love it so I made this pasta dish. Add extra virgin olive oil and fresh garlic and the party has started.

I think I've made this recipe three times before??? This version is nut and soy-free and is completely made from vegetables. If you make a vegan mac and cheese sauce and just forgo all expectations, you won't be disappointed. If you make this and expect it to taste like boxed mac and cheese made with dairy, you will be disappointed. One of the changes I noticed when I became vegan was a change in my taste buds. I don't expect vegan cheese to taste like dairy so I'm not disappointed. You can make dairy-free recipes to taste similar to dairy but not at all just like dairy. Leave all of your expectations behind and open your mind and veganism becomes so easy.

I guess I can't call everything mac and cheese even though the color of my sauce is always orange/yellow. Mac and cheese sauce is thick and creamy and more cheesier than this particular sauce but if you want to say it's a variation of mac and cheese sauce, then go for it. It definitely has a sweet pepper/lemon taste that is incredibly savory so if you wanna try something new, try this. You can super spice it up or not and the color is so vibrant that you should take a picture if you make this. Two recipes in one day....I'm on fire!

My marathon training and writing is taking up alot of my time along with trips home to visit my fam so I am just getting to this new blog post! This is a dish I made in between trips home that was quick and super delish comfort food. I love mac and cheese and since I had to use up some veggies, I threw in some spinach and toms. Mac and cheese is so cool when you make it from scratch because you can make it with veggies which is super nutritious.

Dinner was soooo good today....this recipe is amazing, low-fat, good for you, creamy and filling. Prior to this, I made mac and cheese a few different ways: with cashews, with vegan cheese and with tofu but never with cauliflower...until now. Wish I had made it sooner; with spices and herbs, it can be dressed up to be quite spicy and savory. I love how this came out and I'm loving my photos!

This recipe is EPIC because it is sinful, or what some of us might consider a sinful meal because it's creamy and fatty and full of carbs. But the best part about it is no babies were stolen from their mothers so the milk could be used for the butter and milk in this recipe. It's cruelty-free and, yep, it's high fat but the fat source is coconut and healthy oils so I didn't worry about it as I was noshing. Did I mention my cholesterol numbers are in the super healthy range ever since I went vegan?

It's amazing how similar beans are to meat, they are filling and often resemble meat when you make them into a burger or patty. Even better is that beans are way higher in fiber and way lower in cholesterol and don't contain what was once a living creature. I love how beans can fill the meat void and provide a protein filled meal. My favorite beans are chickpeas because I've done the most with them as far as making recipes but adzuki beans are becoming a favorite.

You won't believe what ingredients are in this sauce. I'm so excited it turned out so yummy; I love combining healthy fats and veggies. The trickiest part of this recipe was deciding what to use for the orange color that typical mac and cheese sauce has. With it being autumn, there are quite a few veggies that are the perfect color and that blend well with cashews and spices. It's no secret anymore, see below, that I used carrots and butternut squash. Awesome. 

I have super sensitive skin. It gets red, itchy and dry very easily and it's been the source of much angst as I was growing up. I usually get flair-ups when the weather changes and extreme temperatures do nothing to help it! When I go home to PA, I get a facial when I can, which includes a hydrating peel, exfoliation and deep moisture (as well as an upper body massage!) One thing I've noticed over the past few months is if I drink my green smoothie or load up on the leafy greens, my skin will clear up. I used to rely on topical steroids but I prefer food as a natural medicine (plus steroids have major side effects!)

For the first time since moving to NYC, I made dinner for my friends.  I went shopping at Trader Joe's, packed everything up and moved to a way bigger kitchen-my friend's in Brooklyn.  She has a Cuisinart food processor!  My dream food processor-much bigger than mine and it moved so smoothly and quietly. It was just beautiful and I wanted to take it home with me.  Making the pesto was such an easy process and I didn't have to worry about it.  My food processor is wonderful though; I've put it though the ringer (can you say sticky dates?) and it's still working well.  The grass is always greener right?  I couldn't fit the Cuisinart in my tiny kitchen anyway lol.

Who doesn't love a good mac and cheese dish?  And the vegan version is even better because it's dairy free.  Let me talk about vegan cheese for a little bit.  You can make versions of cheese from scratch such as cashew cheese or tofu cheese or you can buy vegan cheese.  Some of my favorite vegan cheese brands are Go Veggie, Daiya cheese slices and vegan gourmet cheese blocks.  I encourage you to try each brand and decide for yourself which one you like; you can also find great recipes from scratch using cashews, cauliflower and tofu.