Black bean and Rice Stew

It is the time of year where you want to start cuddling in your blankets and eating comfort food on those cold days.  This one is a filling warm bowl that can be made for the whole family.

  

You need:

1 carton of Vegetable broth

1 cup of canned Tomatoes (whole or diced)

1 cup of Brown Rice (cooked)

2 cups of Black Beans (cooked)

1 small onion

1 medium Carrot 

2 Tbsp of Chili Powder

1 Tbsp of Cumin

2 Tsp of Garlic Powder

2 Tsp of Sea Salt

  
 

1) Cook rice and black beans (follow instructions on package).

2) Dice Onion and sizzle in pot with 1 tbsp of grapeseed oil.  Once onion has turned translucent add chopped carrot.

3) While vegetables sizzle until cooked, add vegetable broth, black beans and tomatoes to a food processor or blender.  Then add all spices and salt, and blend until smooth.

4) Add broth mixture to pot with vegetables and stir in rice.  Let cook until heated then serve, or freeze for another day.

 

V/GF Chocolate Donuts (no donut pan needed)

These donuts are thick, dense and filling.  The dough is rolled and shaped into a round donut so no donut pan is needed).

You Need:

1 cup of Brown Rice Flour

1/2 cup of Tapioca Starch

1/2 cup of Coconut Sugar

1/2 cup of Cocoa Powder

1 tsp of Baking Powder

1/2 tsp of Baking Soda

1/4 tsp of Sea Salt

1/2 cup of Millet Flour

1 tsp of Cinnamon

6 Dates (pitted)

1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

2 tbsp of Grapeseed oil

1 Flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax 3 Tbsp water)

Almond Milk

1. Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl (Rice flour, tapioca starch, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, millet flour, cinnamon).
2. Mix 1 tbsp of ground flax with 2 tbsp of water.
3. Add Dates (with no pits), vanilla extract, Grapeseed oil, and Flax egg to a blender or food processor and blend until dates are broken down and smooth.
4. Add blended mix to dry mix and stir together.  Dough should be thick, if dough is too thick add almond milk.
5. Make sure dough is completely mixed and roll in cylinder shapes and attach into a circle to make a donut shape.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Place dough shaped as donuts on a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread out, at least 2 inches apart.
8. Bake in oven for 10-12 mins.
9. Let cool and then enjoy!

Creamy Lentil Mushroom Soup

Makes approx 4 servings

You Need:

1 cup of Green Lentils (dry)

1 can of Coconut Milk (full fat)

1/4 cup of Almond Milk

2 cloves of Garlic

1 medium Onion

1 cup of chopped Mushrooms

1 tsp of Sea Salt

1 cup of Cauliflower

1 tsp of Cardamom

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1. Boil Lentils in water until fully cooked.  After they finish cooking, drain water, and add to food processor.
2. Chop Onion and simmer in a frying pan on medium heat (add a tbsp of grapeseed oil to pan) until translucent, then add 2 minced garlic cloves and let simmer for a couple mins.  When finished cooking add to food processor.
3. Simmer chopped mushrooms in a frying pan until water has evaporated then add to the food processor.
4. Add Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Sea Salt, Cardamom, Cumin and Cinnamon.
5. Steam Cauliflower for a couple mins until tender all the way through.  Then add to food processor.
6. After all ingredients are added to food processor blend until smooth.
7. Then reheat in a pot until at desired heat and serve.

Black Bean Avocado Potato Slices

Looking for an easy healthy appetizer for a fall bbq party? The combo in this one will excite your taste buds!

Makes approx 8-10 slices.

You Need:

1 Large Sweet Potato

1.5 cups of Cooked Black Beans

1 Tbsp of Tahini

2 Tsp of Cumin

1 Tsp of Garlic Powder

1&1/4 Tsp of Pink Himalayan Salt

2 Tbsp of Grapeseed Oil

1 Avocado

1 Tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Clove of Garlic

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice one large Sweet Potato about 1 cm thick.  Grease a baking sheet (I used Grapeseed oil) and lay out slices on baking sheet.  Bake about 20-30 mins on each side, until lightly brown and cooked all the way through.
2. Add Black Beans, Tahini, Cumin, Salt (1 tsp), Garlic Powder, and Grapeseed oil into a food processor and process until a chunky blend.
3. Add Avocado, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic clove, Salt (1/4 tsp) into a food processor and process until smooth.
4. Apply a spoonful of Black Bean mix on top of the cooked Sweet Potato Slices and then top with Avocado Mix.  Then serve and enjoy! You can garnish with Cilantro or Parsley.

Great Lunch Ideas

The most challenging thing to sticking to a good diet is all the prep work that goes into it.  Unfortunately eating french fries for lunch everyday is not a solution, even though it technically fits into a Vegan diet.  Here I have compiled a bunch of ideas for things to make the night before to have for lunch the next day.  They are easy, healthy and will keep you satisfied!

Butternut Squash Chickpea Chili:

This can easily be made in a crock pot over night, or had for dinner and then package the leftovers for lunch the next day.  The recipe can be found here: Butternut Squash Chickpea Recipe

Rice Dish with Creamy Garlic Sauce

This is another easy one to have for Dinner and then package for Lunch the next day.  The sauce from this recipe can easily be used to top any grain or vegetable dish.  Here is the recipe: Rice Dish Recipe

Rice and Cabbage Dish with Sweet Thai Dressing

This one takes a little bit of prep work but is worth every second.   Check out the recipe here: Rice and Cabbage Dish with Sweet Thai Dressing

Basic Quinoa Salad

This one is by far the easiest, quickest recipe and it even comes with a video, if you need it.  Video: Basic Quinoa Salad Tutorial   

Or here is the link to the recipe: Basic Quinoa Salad Recipe

I hope these recipes help make your lunches a little healthier, and inspire you to brown bag it! 🙂

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Cinnamon Buns

  

Makes 7 cinnamon buns.

You need:

1 cup of Millet Flour

1/2 cup of Sorhgum Flour

1/2 cup of Tapioca Starch

2 tsp of Baking Powder

1 tbsp of Cinnamon 

1/2 tsp of Cardamom

1/2 cup of Coconut Sugar

1/4 tsp of Sea Salt

3 tbsp of Grapeseed Oil

2 Flax eggs ( 2 tbsp of ground flax, 6 tbsp of water)

1/4 cup of Almond Milk

1/4 cup of Rice flour

For the Topping and filling:

1/4 cup of Coconut Sugar

1/4 cup of chopped Pecans

2 tsp of Cinnamon 

 1) Mix flax eggs and let sit.  Turn on oven to 350 and let it preheat.

2) Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl (millet flour, Sorhgum flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, coconut sugar, sea salt).

3) In another bowl mix the wet ingredients ( flax eggs, Grapeseed oil, almond milk).

4) Mix wet and dry ingredients together until it’s all mixed together. In a separate bowl mix together all the topping/filling ingredients.

5) Spread out the rice flour on a plate then take a spoon full of dough and stretch it out, using the flour to avoid it sticking to the plate. Sprinkle the filling over the dough and then roll it up and put it in a greased muffin tin. Repeat until the muffin tin is full and then sprinkle some toppings ontop of all of them.

6) Place in oven for 18 mins and let bake, then take out of oven and drizzle with maple syrup.  Place back in oven and let bake for another 2 mins.

7) Take out of oven and let cool and then serve!

 

Basic Quinoa Salad

  

You need:

1 1/2 cups of cooked Quinoa

1/2 cup of steamed Cauliflower 

1/2 cup of chopped steamed Green beans

1/2 cup of chopped steamed Celery

1/4 cup of sunflower seeds

1/4 cup of Hemp seeds

2 tbsp of Grapeseed oil

1tbsp of Red wine Vinegar 

1/4 tsp of Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp of pink Himalayan Salt

1 tsp of dried Basil

1) Cook quinoa ( 3/4 cup of quinoa with 3/4 cup of water and 1/2 tsp of salt boiled, takes about 20 mins)

2) Steam veggies (add cauliflower, green beans and celery into a wok with a 1/4 cup of water in the bottom, steam at medium heat)

3) Mix Quinoa with Steamed veggies and sunflower seeds.

4) In a jar with a lid mix the Grapeseed oil, red wine vinegar, basil, salt and garlic powder. Shake up ingredients and pour on to quinoa salad.

5) Mix sauce into quinoa salad and top with hemp seeds. Then serve! 

Creamy Coleslaw

Makes 4 servings

You will need:

1/4 of a Green Cabbage (shredded)

2 Carrots (shredded)

3 Celery Stalks (chopped)

1 cup of chopped Dandelion Leaves (optional)

2 tbsp of Grapeseed Oil

1 tbsp of Tahini

1 tsp of Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp of Sea Salt

1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

1tsp of Garlic Powder

3 tbsp of Water

1/4 cup of Hemp Seeds

1) Shred 1/4 of a green cabbage, 2 Carrots, chop 3 stalks of Celery, and 1 cup of Dandelion leaves, then mix in bowl.
2) In a blender add 2 tbsp of Grapeseed oil, 1 tbsp of Tahini, 1 tsp of Dijon Mustard, 1/2 tsp of sea salt, 1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 3 tbsp of water, and blend until smooth.
3) Mix sauce in with slaw, add 1/4cup of hemp seeds, and let sit in fridge for an hour.  Then serve! Makes an excellent summer side dish.

Nut Loaf.

  

You will need:

1 cup of Almond Meal 

1/2 cup of Sorghum flour 

1/2 cup of Rice Flour 

1/2 cup of Buckwheat flour 

1/2 cup of Tapioca starch 

1 tsp of Baking Powder 

1/2 tsp of Baking Soda 

1/2 tsp of pink Himalayan salt

1/8 tsp of Nutmeg

1/4 tsp of Cardamom 

1 tsp of Cinnamon  

2 tbsp of coconut oil (melted)

1/2 cup of Apple Sauce 

1/2 cup of Maple Syrup 

1/2 cup of Almond Milk

1/4 cup of chopped Pecans 

1/4 cup of chopped Walnuts 

Flax Egg (2tbsp of ground flax seed, 4 tbsp of water)

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Mix all dry ingredients together (almond meal, sorghum flour, rice flour, buckwheat flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom)

3) Mix all wet ingredients (melted coconut oil, apple sauce, maple syrup, almond milk, flax egg).  Then mix wet and dry together until all clumps are gone and add in chopped nuts (pecans and walnuts). Note: leave about half of the chopped nuts for toppings.

4) Grease or cover a loaf pan with parchment paper then evenly pour the batter into the loaf pan. After levelling out the batter in the pan , evenly sprinkle the rest of the chopped nuts on the loaf.

5) Bake loaf in oven at 350 for 35 mins or until it is baked completely through.  Take out and let cool before slicing.

6) Add whatever toppings such as almond butter, maple butter, honey, or chia jam.  Enjoy!

  

Rice and Cabbage Dish with a Sweet Thai sauce

 Makes about 4 large servings 

For this recipe you will need:

3 cups of cooked wild rice

2 cups of cooked lentils (green)

1/2 cup of shredded carrots 

1/4 cup of shredded Apple

1 cup of shredded cabbage (red)

1/4 cup of cilantro leaves 

4 tbsp of sesame seeds

1 tbsp of Date Molasses 

1/2 of a lime (juiced)

1 tbsp of maple syrup

2 tbsp of Tamari

1/2 tsp of red chilli pepper flakes 

1 clove of garlic (minced)

2 tbsp of sesame seed oil

 
1) Cook wild rice and then lentils. Once both are cooked and have been rinsed off with cold water mix together in a bowl.

  

2) While rice and lentils are cooking prep the veggies by gratting Apple and Carrots, and then chop the Cabbage. Then mix in with rinsed rice and lentils.

3) Add date molasses, lime juice, maple syrup, Tamari, red chilli pepper flakes, garlic, and sesame seed oil into a blender and blend until mixed completely.

4) Pour sauce into bowl with rice, lentil and veggies. Mix sauce into dish and let sit in fridge for a half hour to let sauce settle in.

Remix the dish and serve.  Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds!