After a long weekend of fun at my cousin’s wedding, I need to detox. We had so much fun that included celebrating them while eating and drinking. I’m thankful there were vegan options for me to have all weekend long so it made it easier. At the bridesmaid luncheon I had a vegetable panini and…
Tag: HCLF
Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup
I used to make this soup with chicken all of the time in the colder months and it was my go to for sick family and friends. I decided to veganize it, which wasn’t hard because I just had to swap chickpeas for chicken and veggie broth instead of chicken broth. I used Vegetarian Better…
Apple Pie Oatmeal
Apple cinnamon everything right now! I always try to make up new ways to make oatmeal more interesting because I use to HATE it. I couldn’t stand the mushiness, the bland taste, and it just tasted like goop, especially when I made it from scratch instead of the sugary packets. Now I realized that if…
Cinnamon Apple Banana Oat Muffins
I woke up this morning with fall crispness in the air and was inspired to whip up some fall baking goodies! I’ve been loving using oatmeal flour instead of regular flour in my baked goods and I’ve been experimenting with getting vegan things to rise. I had some apples with spots on them and decided…
Portobello and Balsamic Ragu with Pasta and Italian Zucchini
I’ve been on the pasta train lately, there’s been a lot going on and I’ve just been craving comforting dishes which for me is carbs. I found these cute little noodles at Trader Joe’s on the imported from Italy section called Gigli. This reminded me of pasta I had in Italy because it’s simple and…
Shiitake and Bok Choy Soba Noodle Bowl
I’m always up for a bowl full of saucy, salty, flavorful noodles packed with veggies. Since I crave them so often, I try to come up with new combinations to make it interesting each time. Shiitakes are the most popular mushroom for Asian cooking and I love using Bok Choy in stir fries for a…
Butternut Squash, Chickpea, and Brussel Sprout Bowl with Avocado Herb Dressing
I made this bowl hoping it’s an “over here!” sign for the fall weather to begin. I mean it’s half way through October and it’s in the 90’s… come on. I roasted some butternut squash, brussel sprouts, chickpeas, tomatoes, and served them over lettuce and brown rice. I was going to make my usual…
Meal Planning 10.8.18
I almost forgot to post what I’m making this week! Whoops! I made these tacos with leftovers from last week’s potato nachos. They were scrumptious! I wanted to try a few new things this week so lately I’ve been using other people’s pictures on Instagram as inspiration. Here’s what else I’m making this week! Tofu…
Veggilicious Pasta
I bought a bag of whole wheat fusilli from Trader Joe’s to bring to the mountains as a back up in case we needed something to eat, but since we didn’t I got to use it the night we got home. I got some more veggies because I like to have about an equal ratio…
Meal Planning 9.30.18
Well after a week in the beach and the mountains, we’re relaxed and thankful for a nice week of vacation together. Josh and I went down to Blue Mountain beach and even though it rained most of our trip we loved getting a massage, playing Yahtzee, and hanging out together which doesn’t happen much since…
Garlic Hummus and Spinach Pasta
Who knew you could make hummus into a creamy, garlicky, lemony sauce for pasta?! I mean, sign me up. I like hummus, I like pasta, and combined was a tasty mix. I used zucchini, spinach, and tomatoes as the veggies inside and the hummus as my sauce base. I added some pasta water to thin…
Loaded Mexican Rice Bake
Rice-a-licious! Well, my friend requested something with rice and guacamole so I came up with this! It’s a Mexican rice dish packed with extra yumminess to make it a complete meal. It was Josh’s 3rd time eating Mexican this weekend, and I think he would continue to eat it daily if guac is involved. This…
Meal Planning 9.16.18
Yesterday a parent in my class surprised me with a whole vegan Indian meal. Parents, this is the way to your child’s teacher’s heart. We like food. It was such a thoughtful surprise and it was delicious! She made me Chana masala, clove rice, fry bread, and even had a container for toppings. What a…
Mediterranean Eggplant, Okra, and Chickpeas
People ask me often if being vegan is more expensive, when in fact it’s cheaper. When you compare a can of chickpeas to a lb of chicken, it’s about a $7 difference. Sticking to whole plant foods is the key to keeping your spending low because the packaged and processed foods are the ones that…
Crispy Cauliflower Burrito Bowl
Burrito bowls are pretty much a weekly occurrence at our house, partly because they’re easy and delicious, and partly to distract Josh from going to Chipotle every chance he can (it doesn’t work.) Even though they’re so good, anything that’s a weekly meal needs a little change to spice it up now and then. I…
Speedy Wonton & Mushroom Soup
This week I’ve been feeling crummy with either a cold or allergies and I’ve just been craving some soup despite the heat. I LOVE these Thai Vegetable Gyozas from Trader Joe’s so when my sister mentioned she used them in soup when she was sick, I had to give it a try. I wanted to…
Meal Planning 9.9.18
By the time Saturday rolls around, our fridge is pretty empty and it’s time for another Trader Joe’s run. I wanted to find something to make a yummy hot breakfast (since every work day I have fruit for breakfast lately) and the only thing I could find was some quick oats and some fruit. I…
Cauliflower Gnocchi with Veggies in Lemon Garlic Sauce
Everyone loves this cauliflower Gnocchi from Trader Joe’s and I think it was even featured on the Today Show the other day. I bought a bag in the frozen section of Trader Joe’s during my weekly shopping trip and decided to mix it with some veggies and make a lemon garlic sauce. I wanted to…
Sweet and Spicy Tofu Lo Mein
It’s such a nice feeling knowing one of your favorite meals EVER is on your “diet plan”. I’m down for any vegan asian noodle bowls of any kind, so I’m always on the lookout for new recipes and ideas. I couldn’t find yakisoba noodles in the grocery (checked TJ’s and Kroger) so I picked up…
Simple Chili Black Bean Burgers
For Labor Day, I wanted to make some simple black bean burgers without a million ingredients and use what I had on hand. I mixed some oats, black beans, veggies, and spices to make a Mexican-ish tasting burger with a nice firm texture and topped them with avocado, lettuce, and a chili spiced ketchup and…
The Charming Chickpea 