When Veganuary’s communications coordinator, Michelle Valoz, reached out to ask if I’d like to collaborate on an Instagram reel in January…

Healthy Recipes for Thanksgiving Dishes

4 Steps for a Vegan Thanksgiving to Remember (Forget Surviving… Thrive!)

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, and if you’re newly committed to a healthy vegan lifestyle, you may be a bit stressed about surviving Thanksgiving surrounded by omnivores!

Amanda, a client in my 6-Month Plant-Empowered Coaching Program came to me with some concerns about the upcoming holiday season, and maybe you are thinking it too… “How am I going to tell my mom I won’t be eating her infamous sausage & cheese casserole?” Or “Everyone is going to give me the 3rd degree when I turn down turkey this year!”

Here are the 4 ways you can make this a vegan Thanksgiving to remember…

1. Plan Ahead

Don’t wait until you show up for the big dinner to talk to your family/friends about your food choices! Talk to those planning the gathering as far ahead of time as possible to let them know you’ll be having a vegan Thanksgiving this year. Be equipped with some ideas and recipes that you could suggest in case they ask, and offer to either bring a few plant-exclusive options, or be a part of the cooking process. Here are some links to help those of you interested in cooking up your own delicious, healthy dishes to share: vegan cranberry-sauce

Create Your Own Vegan Loaf!

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie

2. Keep a Positive, Upbeat Attitude Throughout the Holiday

Instead of focusing on what you “CAN’T” eat, make the choice to ENJOY exploring new vegan Thanksgiving dishes that are in line with your values and will make you feel good from the inside out!

Thanksgiving is all about gratitude, so focus on how thankful you are for your health, and how making new food choices embodies that. Also share (as in have an actual conversation) with family members how much you appreciate their support in your venture to live a healthier, more conscious and compassionate lifestyle. If you set it up in this way, your family is more than likely going to get behind you on your decision.

3. Bring Top Vegan Swaps to the Table

There are certain holiday foods or drinks you may feel you just can’t live without. Fortunately for those of us who aren’t interested in spending lots of time in the kitchen, there are great vegan substitutes for almost everything these days! These swaps may not be whole foods, but they will allow you to stay consistent with your vegan lifestyle, and you can think of them as your special treats and indulge a little while eating clean otherwise.

Click on the links below to see some kick ass options!

4. Lead by Example

The most effective way to make a positive impact on others is to let your actions back up your words consistently. You may have recently learned a lot about all the benefits of a vegan diet (and all the negative consequences of consumption of animal products) and would love for your friends and family to all just jump on board the vegan bandwagon as soon as you tell them about it! Well be prepared… that’s probably not going to happen.

On the other hand, if you simply practice what you preach (and by that I mean “talk about” not really “preach”), and those around you see the positive changes in your body and your life, they will automatically want to know how to move in the same direction and you will be there to help guide them! Sharing delicious vegan Thanksgiving dishes that everyone can try is a perfect way to start!

Photo Credit: Gardein

*Interested in learning more about how to make the transition to a healthy, fit, vegan lifestyle? Click HERE for more info about our life-changing Plant-Empowered Coaching Program!

30 Apr 2018

Tags: gourmet vegan recipes, healthy vegan dishes, vegan diet plan, vegan recipes

Tropical Baby Potato Salad with Papaya Vinaigrette

Summer cookouts are just around the corner. Impress your guests with this light spin on a vegan potato salad!

Relax in the sun and watch this unconventional potato salad disappear while the boring, fat-laden macaroni salad sits untouched at your next get-together.

Tropical Baby Potato Salad with Papaya Vinaigrette

Ingredients for dressing

1/2 cup papaya, cubed
1 Tbs fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 tsp papaya seeds
3 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend all dressing in a food processor. Refrigerate for at least one hour and shake well before serving.

Ingredients for potato salad

24 ounces petite baby potato, halved, cooked al dente, and cooled
1 small bulb of fennel with stems, sliced thin
1/4 orange bell pepper, sliced thin
2 scallions (white and green), sliced thin
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 small handful organic micro greens

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and fold together. Gently coat with papaya dressing and mix well. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve immediately.

06 Mar 2018

Tags: gourmet vegan recipes, healthy vegan dishes, vegan diet plan, vegan recipes

Asian Glass Noodle Salad

Spring is on it’s way, and along with it comes inspiration for intriguing new vegan recipes!

If you’re ready to set aside the casseroles and stews, and dig into a hearty salad, this recipe from Callicoon Kitchen provides the perfect bridge from winter to summer with hearty cold-weather flavors in a light, slightly spicy dressing. More proof that salads don’t have to be boring and predictable!

Chilled Asian Glass Noodle Salad

Ingredients

6 ounces cooked Asian Glass Noodles, chilled
5-6 Turkish figs – chopped
1 small handful organic microgreens
1/2 peeled and diced raw golden beet
1/2 roasted sweet potato cooled and diced
2 Tbs Austrian pumpkin seeds
3 Tbs toasted sesame oil
3 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions
In a large mixing bowl add the chilled noodles, figs, beets and sweet potato one at a time, mixing well after each. Add pumpkin seeds and micro greens, then finish with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and pepper flakes. Check for seasoning and serve immediately.

12 Aug 2017

Tags: gourmet vegan recipes, healthy vegan dishes, kale, kale salad, salad, tropical salad, vegan diet plan, vegan recipes

Tropical Kale Salad: A Tantalizing Summer Dish

This unique gourmet vegan recipe for Tropical Kale Salad is made with sweet kiwi, macadamia nuts, and mango, and is topped with a bright tangerine vinaigrette is super simple to make!

Full of brilliant colors and packed with a variety of nutrients, this tropical kale salad is a perfect vegan dish to serve in the sizzling months of summer.

Refreshing and satisfying, this salad is also gorgeous to look at. You’re sure to receive tons of compliments on the presentation alone. And then when you and your guests dive in, the flavors will tantalize taste buds!

In case you are wary of eating too much fruit, check out the post, Adopting a Healthy Vegan Diet Plan: The Fruit vs. Sugar Confusion. Ella gives you all the info you need to feel good about nourishing your body with fruit.

Tropical Lacinato Kale Salad with Sweet Kiwi, Macadamia Nuts, Mango, and a Bright Tangerine Vinaigrette

Ingredients for Salad
Serves 2

2 Large handfuls Lacinato kale chopped
1 small handful organic pea shoots chopped
1/4 red onion thin sliced
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1 Kiwi sliced
1/2 mango thin sliced
8 heirloom baby tomato sliced
1/2 cup Rosemary croutons cubed
6 assorted olives
chia seeds for garnish

Ingredients for Tangerine Vinaigrette

1/4 cup juice of tangerines and zest of 1 Tangerine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp chopped dill
1 tsp agave nectar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

Directions for dressing

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl except olive oil. Whisk well. Slowly drizzle and whisk in extra virgin olive oil. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Directions for Salad

In a large mixing bowl combine kale, pea shoots and onion. Serve in a chilled plate. Evenly distribute macadamia nuts, kiwi, tomato, croutons and olives evenly between both plates. Top with sliced mango and garnish with his seeds. Drizzle on tangerine vinaigrette and serve immediately

Tips: Baby Spinach can be substituted for Kale. Pecans can also be substituted for macadamia nuts. Be sure to serve chilled.

Enjoy🍴

*Like this recipe? Check out more of my creative, gourmet vegan recipes!

24 Jul 2017

Ella Magers, MSW

Vegan Recipes

Tags: cauliflower, easy vegan meal, easy vegan recipes, healthy vegan dishes, Quinoa, tabbouleh, vegan diet plan, vegan recipes

Quinoa Cauliflower Tabbouleh

I was thrilled that my quinoa cauliflower tabbouleh creation turned out FANTASTIC, so of course I have to share it with you!

I was about to try my hand at making cauliflower tabbouleh when I thought, “What if I combined cauliflower rice with quinoa to create a hybrid recipe for quinoa cauliflower tabbouleh?”

I’m glad I had that thought because this easy vegan recipe I came up with is super refreshing, satisfying, clean, and nutrient-packed. I have officially labeled it as a new “go-to vegan meal” on my list of meals I see myself making on a regular basis.

As much as I love convenience, I decided to make my own cauliflower rice, as opposed to buying it pre-made in the freezer section. From my experience, the frozen cauliflower rice (which may or may not be found in your local mainstream grocery stores) is great for cooking with, but for raw vegan recipes, it just doesn’t come out right.

Most tabbouleh recipes contain red onion. I’m not generally a fan of raw red onion because I feel like no matter what I do, I can taste onion in my mouth for the rest of the day. Red onion does add a nice crunch to dishes though, so I decided to add cucumber to this easy vegan recipe instead. I was pleasantly surprised how well this worked out! I did use garlic and onion powder in my recipe, but not enough to make you un-kissable 😉

I’ll admit, there is a lot of chopping involved in this quinoa cauliflower tabbouleh recipe, so I suggest making a double batch and snacking on it all week. I actually doubled this recipe and ended up eating half of it in just one day! I love making simple vegan meals that are guilt-free like this, knowing it’s doing my body good.

By the way, if you want to make this more of a meal than a side dish, I’m guessing lentils or chickpeas would be a great addition. And for my fellow fitness freaks, although quinoa contains complete vegan protein, adding legumes will up the protein content significantly.

Let me know how you like it!

Quinoa Cauliflower Tabbouleh

Ingredients

1 cup cauliflower rice
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup cucumber, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 medium lemon, juiced
6-10 mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8-1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
Black pepper to taste

Instructions for Cauliflower Rice

Option 1:

Place cauliflower florets in your high speed blender
Cover with water
Pulse blend until the cauliflower has been chopped into rice-size pieces
Strain thoroughly
Allow time to dry or use a paper towel to pat dry

Option 2:

Use a box grater with the medium-size holes to grate the cauliflower florets into rice-size pieces.

Instructions for Tabbouleh

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly… That’s all, you’re done!

Enjoy!

27 Mar 2017

Ella Magers, MSW

Tags: easy vegan recipes, healthy pancakes, healthy vegan dishes, vegan breakfast, vegan diet plan, vegan pancakes, vegan recipes

Healthy Lemon Vegan Pancake Recipe For A New Day

Next time you or your family is craving a special breakfast, try this Tasty AND Healthy Vegan Pancake Recipe!

Pancakes are among the most liked breakfast foods around the world. A variety of ways to make them exist, some recipes proving more nutritious than others. Due to the fat and sugar content in many recipes, they tend to be very high in calories, especially when topped with syrup and butter.

Luckily, it’s very easy to make nutritious and delicious vegan pancakes at home. Eating a healthier version of traditional pancakes can provide macro and micronutrients that keep you satisfied and energized for hours.

In order to make your pancakes healthier consider adding chopped, mashed or grated fruits to the batter. Vegetables (sweet potatoes and pumpkins) and orange fruits are a good addition as they contain carotenoids, nutrients that are known to lower the risk for cancer, heart disease, and muscular degeneration. This nutrient also helps improve the immune functions of your body.

Success tips

You will be able to deliver delicious pancake if you adopt the following tips when cooking.

Pancakes are very delicate and need even heat not high heat. Allow your pan or skillet a long while so as to evenly warm up. This will ensure heat is well distrusted throughout the pan otherwise, the pancakes will just be unevenly cooked.
Do not rush your pancakes, cook them slow and on low. Also, ensure most of the cooking is done on the first side of the pancake. As this happens the pan should remain fully warmed and should persist cooking on low settings. Flip the pancake to the other side when the bubbles break through and its edges start to crisp up.
Before spreading your batter, splash good amount of oil on the pan or skillet.
Since this is a vegan recipe no egg will be used, therefore we use an egg replacer. The replacer will add body and improve binding to your pancake. Some of the most common egg replacers include mashed banana, ground flax seeds, and applesauce.
Whipping your batter thoroughly will ensure it gets some air. This will help you to make fluffy and delicious pancakes. Ensure you use just the right amount of lemon juice (citric acid) combine with baking powder.

Healthy Lemon Vegan Pancake Recipe

Time: 40 minutes | servings: 8 small or 4 large pancakes |cuisine: breakfast | recipe type: vegan

Ingredients

1 cup whole grain pastry flour
1 cup nondairy milk (almond or soy milk)
1 tsp. lemon juice
Tsp. fresh zest
Tsp. lemon extract
tsp. vanilla extract
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. raw vegan sugar
tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil
Dash of cinnamon
1 mashed banana (egg replacer)

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients in a narrowly rimmed and tall bowl, this allows more air into the batter. Add all the wet ingredients (almond milk, all extracts, and oil), lastly combine them with the zest, lemon juice and the mashed banana. Whip your batter thoroughly as the baking powder combine with the acid it will become fluffy.
As you whip you batter, you should be warming your skillet or pan. Put your cooker on low setting so as to evenly distribute heat to your pan. Remember you want an evenly warmed and toasty pan for better results.
Once your pan is well warmed (after about 3-5 minutes), splash a small amount of oil to the pan. Roll the pan around to ensure the oil is spread evenly on the pan.
Add a good amount of the fluffy batter and let it spread evenly in the pan. Maintain your cooker on low setting and let your pancake cook slowly, you will notice tiny bubbles forming through the batter’s surface. When these bubbles start breaking, and the edges of the pancake are formed, fluffy, cooked and not wet flip your pancake. Since most of the cooking was done on the first side, you can set your cooker to medium setting to get things done quickly.
Remove the pancake from the pan and place it on a paper toweled plate. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all your batter is no more.
Serve the warm pancakes with maple syrup and vegan butter.

Nutritional facts

Enjoy!

-Kanisha

02 Mar 2017

Kathy Mitchell

Tags: easy vegan recipes, healthy eating, healthy vegan dishes, vegan diet plan, vegan recipes

3 Quick and Easy Vegan Recipes Ready in 15 Minutes

People often have the misconception that in order to eat a healthy vegan diet, you have to spend tons of time laboring in the kitchen. Not true!

Vegan diets that are made up of a wide variety of whole plant foods are rich in essential vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, Vitamin E, iron, dietary fiber, magnesium, phytochemical and iron. Vegan diet tends to be low in cholesterol, fatty acids, saturated fats etc. A well-planned and prepared vegan diet reduces the risk of developing many chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and stroke.

People are often discouraged from taking the plunge into veganism because they think it takes a lot of work to prepare healthy vegan dishes. If you’re one of those people, or you’re already on board the vegan train and could use more easy, go-to meal ideas, this post is for you!

Here are three vegan recipes that you can prepare in 15 minutes or less…

Fast Spinach Curry and Chickpeas

Most of us are always in a hurry and therefore we have no time to prepare the meals we want. You should not worry anymore because this vegan recipe is easy to make and takes less than 15 minutes for food to prepare.

Ingredients

1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
a handful of spinach
3 chopped tomatoes
Mild curry paste 2 tsp
Cumin ½ tsp
Paprika ½ tsp
Crushed garlic 2 cloves
Chopped onion 1
Sunflower oil 1 tsp

Method:

Heat the sunflower oil and onion for 2 minutes in a pan until the onion turns brown and soft. Add cumin, paprika, garlic and curry paste and continue cooking.
Then add chopped tomatoes and chickpeas and stir continuously. Let them cook further for ten minutes.
Add spinach and stir for about 2 minutes until the spinach starts to wilt. Season with sea salt to taste.
Serve the meal.

Spinach and chickpeas are quite good vegan ingredients that are very tasty. This meal is easy to make and all the ingredients are readily available locally.

Tomatoes – Pasta Vegan Recipe

Pasta is one of the main meals for vegetarians. Pasta recipes are known for the simplicity involved in preparing them. This meal is easy to make and you will have a delicious vegan meal within 15 minutes.

Ingredients

1 packet of pasta
1 chopped onion
Pepper ½ tsp
3 chopped tomatoes
Salt 1 tsp
Olive oil 1 tsp

Method

Heat olive oil and onions in the frying pan. Stir until the onions turn golden brown.
Add tomatoes and stir well until it forms a tomato paste.
Cut the pasta into pieces and add to the tomato paste and continue stirring.
Add ½ cup of water and season with salt then cover them. Cook until the pasta is soft, this should take 10 minutes.
It is as simple as that. For a better taste, serve the meal when hot. You can serve with avocado.

Vegan Avocado Toast

Simple recipe if you want to come up with a vegan recipe in 15 minutes. The ingredients are readily available and the whole process of preparing this healthy and delicious meal is easy.

Ingredients:

4 slices of rye bread
2 ripe sliced avocado
1 clove of minced garlic
1 bulb onion
Flaked almonds ½ cup
2 tsp olive oil
Sliced cherry tomatoes
Black pepper and salt
Juice for one lemon

Method:

Toast the 4 slices of rye bread and sizzle using 1 tsp of olive oil.
Crush the sliced avocado in a bowl. Add lemon juice, garlic, 1 tsp olive oil and onion and mix thoroughly. Add salt and black pepper. Mix all this until we combined leave the mixture with some chunkiness.
Spread the avocado on the bread toasts.
Top them with almonds, cherry tomatoes and sprinkle some olive oil.

The meal is ready for serving in 15 minutes, this makes a vegan meal that is packed with healthy ingredients for a tasty vegan dish.

Final Thought

A healthy and glozine lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to create complicated meals that take a ton of prep work. It’s all about finding your “go-to” meals that are both quick to make and nutritious, as well as always keeping your kitchen stocked with healthy staples.

Experiment and enjoy!

23 Feb 2017

Lindsey Bogard

Tags: healthy vegan dishes, kale, potatoes, vegan diet plan, vegan recipes

Rainbow Potato Hash (Vegan of Course)!

This easy vegan dish goes along with my love for the combination of potatoes, kale, mushrooms, and onions. I mean, come on, is there any better savory combination?

I almost always have left over baked potatoes of all varieties in the fridge. This is a great way to make use of the left over potatoes. I especially love this dish in the cold winter, but it’s a hit any time of year!

Rainbow Potato Hash

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato
1 small bag of mixed baby potatoes (purple, white, new)
1 red onion, sliced
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 bunch curly red kale
4 cups baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp minced garlic
½ cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

Heat about a tbsp of virgin coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
Dice red onion and add to the skillet, cooking until onions are translucent.
Dice all potatoes into 1/2” cubes (left over baked potatoes are a great time saver here).
Cook potatoes with onion until potatoes are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Make sure to stir often.
Add minced garlic and sliced mushrooms.
Cook another 10 minutes.
De-stem kale by using a kitchen knife to cut along side the stem.
Roll kale lengthwise (I know it’s awkward with curly kale) and slice across into thin ribbons.
Add to skillet. Cook until tender, another 5-10 minutes.
Season with a pinch of pink sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
Sprinkle nutritional yeast over the top prior to serving.

08 Feb 2017

Tags: healthy vegan dishes, vegan burger, vegan diet plan, vegan recipe, vegan recipes, veggie burger