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Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper / Okra Dish

Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper

*This was originally posted as Vegan Fried Okra, but apparently it’s Shishito Peppers! Lol I’m an idiot. The recipe is great for either, though, so carry on!

Southern cooking has my heart. All the delicious, buttery comfort food gives me the warm and fuzzies. I’m a huge fan of The Pioneer Women, Ree. After getting her cookbook a few years ago, I immediately began cooking anything and everything Southern. Just ask my husband or brother, for a while they’d come home to a new pie every day. I felt like a Disney Princess, whistling around my kitchen, in hopes that a group of birds would come in and help with the dishes. One of my favorite southern dishes is Fried Okra! Now that I’m blogging with more of an emphasis on Vegan/ Veg food, I thought I’d give you a Vegan Fried Okra Shishito Pepper dish to try for yourself! I’d never made it before, so this was a great opportunity to learn something new!

As much as I love Sothern Cooking, my waistline doesn’t. This Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper dish is one of the rare unhealthy things that you’ll see me post. It’s deep fried, covered in corn meal and flour goodness, and guaranteed to please. Just maybe walk around a bit after you eat it 😝

For thisVegan Fried Shishito Pepper/ Okra dish, I made a few modifications to try to get the best consistency possible. I used unsweetened almond milk instead of the buttermilk the traditional recipe calls for, and after the first batch, I thickened the almond milk up a little by adding 1/2 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum. Xanthan gum is a “natural” thickener, and it’s great to use in smoothies, dressings, and soups as well. I was turned on to it during my raw vegan days. It gets some flack because it’s unclear if it’s bad for you or not, but I figured if I’m deep-frying my dinner, who tf cares?? You judge for yourself, I’m not yo momma!

Additionally, for this Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper recipe, I tried using Panko (bread crumbs) in addition to the corn meal and flour mix. This combination didn’t work as well as I’d thought because the almond milk was still a bit runny. If I had been using a recipe with egg or butter, it might have worked better. In the end, I found that the corn meal and flour mix did the best job of (kind of) keeping the breading on the okra.

Okay, here we go with Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper!

  1. Gather and rinse your Shishito Peppers/ okraVegan Fried Okra
  2. Cut off the stem and bottom of your Shishito Peppers/ okra, then slice into 1″ pieces Vegan Fried Okra
  3. Mix your dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, seasoning), and mix your almond milk with your xanthan gum in a separate bowl, and put your oil in a deep frying/ sauté pan and warm it over medium heatVegan Fried Okra
  4. Set up a little assembly line for yourself next to your stove. Dunk your shishito peppers/ okra morsels into the almond milk to coat it, then cover it with the dry mix, so it’s completely covered Vegan Fried Okra
  5. Gently—so you don’t burn yourself—drop the shishito peppers/ okra into the hot oil. Sorry, no picture of steps five and six because I was trying to not set myself aflame!
  6. You may have to do it in batches, when the okra is a nice golden brown, transfer it onto a cookie sheet with a layer of paper towels on it, to help soak up and drain some of the oil
  7. Serve with your favorite other southern dishes; I chose mashed potatoes! Vegan Fried Okra

 

 

Vegan Fried Okra

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. of Okra, rinsed and cut
  • 3-6 cups of oil depending on the depth of your pan. You want the okra to be able to fully submerge, but the pan half full or less
  • 1/2 cup corn meal
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
  • 1 cup of almond milk
  • 1/4 tsp. of paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup of seasoning salt
  • 1/4 cup black pepper
  • 1/8 cup of garlic powder (or 1/4 if you don't have seasoning salt) LESS IS MORE

Instructions

1

Gather and rinse your okra

2

Cut off the stem and bottom of your okra, then slice into 1" pieces

3

Mix your dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, seasoning), and mix your almond milk with your xanthan gum in a separate bowl

4

Put your oil in a deep frying/ sauté pan and warm it over medium heat

5

Set up a little assembly line for yourself next to your stove. Dunk your okra morsels into the almond milk to coat it, then cover it with the dry mix, so it's completely covered

6

Gently—so you don't burn yourself—drop the okra into the hot oil

7

You may have to do it in batches, when the okra is a nice golden brown, transfer it onto a cookie sheet with a layer of paper towels on it, to help soak up and drain some of the oil

8

Serve with your favorite other southern dishes; I chose mashed potatoes!

Recipe

Simple 4 Ingredient Recipe for Vegan Parmesan

Recipe for Vegan Parmesan

A recipe for vegan Parmesan is a must in any vegan kitchen! After all, one of the things that turns a lot of people away from veganism is the lack of cheese. I’m not vegan anymore, but when I was considering trying it years ago, I couldn’t picture myself abstaining from parmesan on my pasta or pizza. Vegan cheese has come really far since the 90’s, I mean cashew cheese like changed everything. Meltable vegan cheese?? Yes, please!

Oftentimes with veganism the thing people miss is the consistency or texture that comes from cheeses and creams. Furthermore, in a lot of cooking cream based sauces can be a vehicle for other spices and flavors. Vegan cheeses with a cashew base have revolutionized raw and vegan cooking. This recipe for vegan Parmesan is no exception!

Use it to top salads, rice bowls, pasta, and in your raw vegan creations! I love to use it on a vegan Caesar or even to garnish a soup. Again, the possibilities are endless.

Wow your naysayer guests with this recipe for vegan parmesan.

Recipe for Vegan Parmesan

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of raw cashews
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 3/4 tsp salt (add more for taste, start slow if you don't enjoy saltiness)
  • 1/3 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor until it's super fine and resembles Parmesan cheese flakes. You're done!

Recipe

Luscious Vegan Caesar Salad

Vegan Caesar Salad

Once, I had a vegan caesar salad at the Springs LA. It changed my liiiife! I wasn’t even vegan at the time (I’m still not), but I became obsessed with the salad. Of course, they don’t just give out their recipes, but I was ambitious and made a few attempts to recreate their masterpiece.

A good Caesar is hard to come by as an omnivore but as a vegan or vegetarian? Forget about it.

The ever elusive “good” vegan caesar salad only surfaces every once in a blue moon. You better believe when it does, many vegans pounce on it! The thing that’s best about this Vegan Caesar Salad recipe is that you have a significant opportunity here to offer something substantial, delicious, and vegan at your next dinner party.

I remember while planning my wedding my husband and I lamented over what to offer our vegan guests. The fare was traditional American BBQ. Since they were to be surrounded by the smell of meats all weekend, I strongly felt like we needed to offer the vegans and vegetarians something amazing. I hope the guests were satisfied with their choices—I think veggie kabobs, salad, veggie burgers, and couscous?— but had I developed this recipe for Vegan Caesar Salad then, I would have definitely passed it along to our caterers.

Personally, what I fell in love with about this Vegan Caesar Salad is that it has seaweed in it. The seaweed gives it that oceany flavor without harming any little fish.

I’m proud to bring you my version of a Vegan Caesar Salad! I hope you love it as much as I do.

Luscious Vegan Caesar Salad

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • DRESSING
  • 1/2 cup hummus (if you don't like hummus, don't have any, or you can't eat it you can sub in 1/2 pre-soaked cashews, 1 tsp. of capers, and 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. spicy mustard
  • 1 tbsp. evoo
  • 3 cloves of garlic (this makes it kind of garlicky spicy, so use less if you aren't a huge fan)
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1 pack dried seaweed snack
  • 1/2 tsp. sea-salt
  • SALAD
  • 2 loosely packed cups of Spring Mix Lettuce's
  • 2 cups of chopped romaine
  • 1 1/2 cups of loosely packed massaged kale (to massage kale, you literally massage it. I threw on about a tablespoon of EVOO and massaged it with my hands, kind of like washing your hair)
  • 1/2 cups of alfalfa sprouts
  • 2-3 packs of snack dried and salted seaweed, sliced lengthwise into strips
  • 1 cup Garbanzo Bean Croutons
  • 3/4 cup of Vegan Caesar Dressing
  • 2 avocados, sliced
  • Optional: Pepitas

Instructions

1

Throw all of your dressing ingredients into the blender and blend it until smooth and creamy. I like to blend everything except the evoo first, and then throw in the evoo for one last whirl

2

Chop your lettuces and massage your kale (chop your kale and put a tbsp. of evoo on it. Massage it around like you're washing your hair or kneading dough until it becomes softer. Super easy and makes a big diff!)

3

Throw it in a bowl

4

Top with the alfalfa sprouts, seaweed strips, and pepitas

5

Toss with the dressing

6

Garnish with avocado

7

Serve!

Notes

Using GF Worcestershire Sauce should make this meal 100% GF, if you have a serious aversion, though, please check all your labels. Grey Poupon doesn't contain gluten ingredients but could have cross contamination. Beware celiacs!

Recipe

Cauliflower Rice for Lazy People

cauliflower rice

Do you ever look at a complicated recipe and just say “fuck it,” and order pizza instead? Been there…many…many…times! But it doesn’t have to be that way! Cooking can be easy, fun, and no longer something you dread. With this in mind, I bring you, Cauliflower Rice for Lazy People!

When I first heard of cauliflower rice and cauliflower mash, it involved a lot of boiling and steaming.

It was just too much, and I feel like I always ended up with a watery, piss poor excuse for my favorite starches. This Cauliflower Rice can be used as a rice replacement in almost any rice dish. You can add butter, cheese, or a vegan alternative like nutritional yeast to flavor it.

This is such a fantastic option because it’s a simple way to take in fewer calories and carbs. Especially serving it at night, it’s hugely beneficial to lower your carb intake after 3:00 pm or so. I for one always feel like total shit if I eat something heavy for dinner. My husband and I eat at like 7:00 pm usually and it’s close enough to bedtime to make me feel like crap, plus I hate sleeping on a full stomach. You can incorporate this recipe for cauliflower rice into most fad diets! Keto or Atkins, add some butter! Eating “clean,” don’t add a thing! I’m sure even your Weight Watchers coach would approve!

cauliflower rice

cauliflower rice

cauliflower rice

cauliflower rice

cauliflower rice

Cauliflower Rice for Lazy People

Print Recipe
Serves: 1 Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 1 tbsp. of oil
  • Cheese Grater (boxed is best)

Instructions

1

Wash the cauliflower

2

Dry if off as much as you can

3

Remove the greens and any large stem from the bottom

4

Quarter it lengthwise down the stem

5

Grate the cauliflower like you would cheese

6

Saute it, covered, over medium heat with the oil for about 7 minutes. Stirring occasionally

7

Season it however you want. I use salt & pepper, you could also add cheese or nutritional yeast.

 

Recipe

Roasted Root Vegetable Over Cauliflower Rice

Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice

I’ve been playing around with basic rice bowls and root vegetables lately. If you’ve seen my recipe for Butternut Squash Soup then you know I’m pretty much obsessed with fall foods and roasted veggies. Don’t get me wrong, I love a fresh summer salad, but Fall will always have my heart.

This Roasted Root Vegetable Over Cauliflower Rice is quick and breezy to prep. I love the ease of walking away from a meal, cooking it that is. Especially relevant, roasting is great for the house person or stay-at-home mom/dad because it allows you the freedom to do a ton of other stuff as you wait to plate. Furthermore, seasonal veggies are so accessible to almost any region. Hit up your local farmers market and see what they have seasonally. Many of the proprietors will be able to tell you what they stock, and when, so you can prepare menus a couple weeks out.

Cauliflower rice is simple and quick to make. Once you get these simple steps down, the possibilities are endless. Most of all, food in bowl form is such a relief. It plates beautifully and it’s often the easiest style to prepare.

 

 

Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice.

Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice

Print Recipe
Serves: 6 Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 3 Large carrots, cut into 1" pieces
  • 2 Sweet potatoes
  • 2 Golden beets
  • 2 Large beets
  • 1 Large red onion
  • 1 Acorn squash
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 3 tbsp. Olive oil
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

1

Preheat your oven to a roasting temp of 425 °F

2

Cut all your veggies. Wash and scrub the beets and dice into 1" cubes, quarter the onions, slice the peeled and deseeded squash into 1/2" slices, slice or cube the sweet potatos, and dice the carrots

3

Toss the veggies in the olive oil, spread on a foiled rimmed baking sheet. I did two rounds (2 sheets) at 45 minutes each. Make sure to toss/ turn over your veggies halfway through

4

Remove from oven and serve over a rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Try it with my Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce!

Notes

This recipe wins for meal prep because—if it's just you and a roomie/ spouse—this can be lunch for a week! Bring it to spice up your bland side-salad at the office! I absolutely love sending my husband to work with additions like these. A side of roasted veggies can go a long way, and your pocketbook will notice too! Waaaay better to spend $6 on lunch every day than $15!

Recipe

Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce

This Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce will save almost any meal.

It’s so tangy and herby it will literally make dry toast taste good. I love to do special sauces because usually, they’re so quick—like throw a bunch of shit in a blender—quick! Furthermore, they can take a dish from basic to extraordinary.
So often with cooking, the thing people are missing is seasoning or sauce. I didn’t use a pinch of salt in anything until I was 25 and it opened up my eyes to the endless possibilities in my kitchen. This Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce is great as an addition to a Meatless Monday, or anywhere you find the need for some tangy, herby goodness.

I usually use this Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce in a rice bowl recipe. It’s great over roasted root vegetables, rice, or even (especially) tacos! Just imagine this delicious mix on a veggie taco with some mango, um…yes, please?!? Here’s a link to a recipe I featured using this Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce.

I love this recipe for Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce because it’s so easy to make.

Furthermore, if you’re used to cooking vegan like I am, you know to keep cashews on hand. The great thing about this Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce is that it’s also raw. Your omnivore guests would never guess this scrumptious, creamy sauce was vegan.

You can substitute lemon if that’s what you have on hand, you do you. Honestly, any variation of this sauce is gonna be delish.

 

I hope you enjoy the versatility of this vegan Sauce!

Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce

Print Recipe
Serves: 8 Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 cup of cashews (preferably soaked for 2 hours, but honestly it's whatever). If you DO soak, don't presoak a lot cuz they WILL mold
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Juice from 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed dill
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

1

Chop yo shiiiiit. That's the 1/2 onion, dill, and parsley

2

Put the 1 cup of cashews in the blender, followed by your liquids (lime juice and water), then comes the 1/2 onion, garlic, and the herbs.

3

Blend it ALL

4

Throw in some salt n' pepa and blend again

5

Serve

Recipe

Easy Homemade Chia Pudding

Easy Homemade Chia Pudding

This Easy Homemade Chia Pudding is one of my favorite things to meal prep! It has so many uses and it’s an easy and economical choice. Furthermore, despite their small stature, chia seeds are actually nutritional heroes. Most noteworthy, they’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, calcium, antioxidants, and protein. Therefore, this easy homemade chia pudding recipe will set you straight on your health goals and even the kids will like it!

I’ve found that chia pudding is great on it’s own or as part of a bigger picture. Chia pudding can be paired with anything—hot oatmeal, breakfast quinoa, or grits to jello, fresh fruit, smoothies and more.

The best part about this easy homemade chia pudding is that it’s foolproof! If you ask me, any recipe that you can stir and walk away from for eight hours is a win!

What will you create with this easy homemade recipe for chia pudding? Tell me in the comments 👇

Easy Homemade Chia Pudding

Print Recipe
Serves: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chia seeds
  • 4 cups milk of choice
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. of honey or agave

Instructions

1

Put chia seeds in a bowl

2

Pour milk, cinnamon, sweetener, and vanilla extract over seeds

3

Whisk or mix with a fork

4

Refrigerate and allow the chia seeds to "gel" (at least 4 hours)

Notes

You can always blend the ingredients before or after you refrigerate if you don't enjoy the texture.

Recipe

Nutty Pear Mango Banana Smoothie Bowl with Chia Pudding

Pear Mango Banana Smoothie Bowl with Chia Pudding

This nutty Pear Mango Banana Smoothie Bowl with Chia Pudding bowl is perfect for a quick breakfast! Additionally, it’s a cheap and delicious snack to offer your guests. Who would say no when presented with such a thing? If they do, don’t trust them!

It’s always a nice thing to be offered a treat or beverage when you visit someone’s home. Not only a gesture of hospitality, it also gives a clear picture of your host. There are so many great ways to impress guest or simply add some fun to your usual dishes. Garnish and presentation are paramount and usually don’t cost a thing!

I came up with this Nutty Pear Mango Banana Smoothie Bowl with Chia Pudding one day when my husband had some of his friends and band mates over to help move in to his recently renovated studio space.

I get so much joy from cooking and preparing meals for others. This was a simple and easy way to show my appreciation.

Enjoy this Pear Mango Banana Smoothie Bowl with Chia Pudding!

Pear Mango Banana Smoothie Bowl with Chia Pudding

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1/2 pear
  • 3/4 cup frozen mango
  • 1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt
  • 2 cups of pre-made chia pudding
  • 5 ice cubes
  • Garnish:
  • Almond slices
  • Quinoa Puffs
  • Chia seeds
  • Coconut shreds
  • Pear slice
  • 2 blueberries per bowl

Instructions

1

Blend the pear, banana, mango, ice, yogurt, and almond milk

2

Plate your chia pudding first

3

Top with smoothie

4

Garnish

5

Serve

Recipe

Delicious Butternut Squash Soup

*This post first appeared on our sister site, I AM A HEALER.

If you’re reading this, like me, you probably love to cook. Something about this time of year calls me to fill my home with the smell of fresh, fall foods. They always say that “A key to a man’s heart is through food,” a fallacy because the key to everyone’s heart is through food. During our fall and winter months, I often find myself cooking up imaginative and hot meals like this Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup for my family and friends. I show my love through food because really, what’s better than a warm, full belly after a shared meal?

This isn’t the only recipe for butternut squash soup that I’ve made over the years, but it’s by far my best. Every year I tweak the recipe a bit, adding some spices here, some veggies there. This recipe for butternut squash soup can easily be made vegan and is delicious. This year was the first time I’ve added cream to my recipe, but it certainly isn’t a requirement. What I love about recipes like this is that you can make a big batch in your stock pot and serve it all week long. In my case this year I also portioned some out to take to a sick friend.

Delicious Butternut Squash Soup

Print Recipe
Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 3 butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (don't stress over the cube size, cooking is intuitive!)
  • 1-3 white onions thinly sliced (I used 2)
  • 3 small apples or pears sliced
  • 5 cups of veggie broth (use chicken broth if you nasty and use less of either for a thicker soup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ginger (use more if you like the flavor, but tread lightly, it can be strong)
  • 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt (add more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper (add more to taste)
  • Add a dash of cinnamon if you're feeling wild
  • Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground clove (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons of butter OR oil of your choice
  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream (sub skim milk or milk alternative if you're vegan, or ditch altogether)
  • Garnish:
  • Pecans
  • Shaved apples or pears

Instructions

1

Start by warming your butter or oil in a LARGE stock pot. Add the onions to the pot and cook over medium/ high heat until tender.

2

Stir in the sliced fruit, veggie broth, squash, salt, black pepper, coriander, nutmeg, ginger and optional cinnamon. Heat until boiling and then cover and reduce heat. Cook until the squash is tender (15-20 minutes). I judge the tenderness by seeing if I can break the squash apart with my bamboo spoon.

3

Once the squash is tender, transfer 1/3 of the soup into a blender or food processor. Cover and process/ blend until smooth. Transfer it back into your other pot or bowl and repeat with the remainder of the soup.

4

If you're adding cream, now is the time! Stir the cream into the soup and heat a bit more until hot.

Notes

I hope you enjoy this Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup. It's a great addition to Holiday Parties and get-togethers, or as a simple meal prep to approach your week with ease.

Alchemical properties:

Carminatives (ginger, clove, cinnamon) help to increase circulation and relieve gas and other intestinal issues. Promote better digestion and elimination. Coriander is also a carminative that will help if you tend to get headaches from overeating

Digestants (black pepper) help with digestive function, appetite, and the elimination of toxins

Nutmeg to relive and cough and assist in the aid of Rheumatism (inflammation) relief

Salt for protection and purification

Onion high in flavonoids and antioxidants known to prevent disease in the body, also used as a diuretic and expectorant so it could help with a cold.

Butternut Squash helps with digestion issues and helps aid you in healing your gut

Recipe

How to Make Quinoa Puffs Like A Pro

Make Quinoa Puffs

On Instagram, food blogs with smoothie bowls are ruling! Everything has such a gorgeous touch, some of them seem too good to eat. Furthermore, many of them feature exotic fruits and edible flowers that just aren’t realistic. In my kitchen, I always aim to create the most impressive meals with the least amount of money or fuss. I recently came across “puffed” quinoa. So I set upon to learn how to make quinoa puffs.

It’ s a relatively simple thing to make quinoa puffs.

Quinoa is a highly balanced “grain.” The protein content in quinoa is higher than in most grains. I used quotations because their protein content actually excludes them from being a grain at all, it’s actually a pseudo-cereal. Kind of a seed, king of a grain. Quinoa will “pop” or “puff” much like popcorn will, just with a little less show. They do not quadruple in size like a kernel of corn, but they do pop out of your pan and expand in size a little.

The biggest benefit to puffing your quinoa is the nutty flavor it takes on and the nice crunch. This makes it a perfect addition to oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, smoothie bowls, or even to eat as a cereal, although I think it’s much better as a garnish. Once you learn how to make quinoa puffs you can garnish your plates like an Instagram pro!

How to Make Quinoa Puffs

Print Recipe
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2-1 cup pre-rinsed quinoa
  • Pot at least 6 inches deep with a lid
  • Optional: 1 tbsp of oil (this will give a crispier puff and a nuttier flavor)

Instructions

1

Preheat the pot with the oil in it over medium heat (if you're using oil)

2

Add the quinoa to the pot so that it covers the bottom

3

Cover with lid and proceed to move the quinoa around in the pot while it begins to pop. This ensure's you aren't burning anything (although the quinoa WILL brown a bit)

4

Continue popping until there's a few second between each pop

5

Pull from heat, allow to cool, and serve