Monthly Archives: September 2011

Roasted Chipotle Lime Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans and Corn

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I just love sweet potatoes.  The combination of the sweet potatoes, lime, black beans, and corn with the chipotle seasoning.  It is tangy, a tad bit spicy, filling, delicious, and nutritious.

Reasons to LOVE sweet potatoes:

  1. Because of its vitamin A content, sweet potatoes may help prevent certain cancers.
  2. It helps stabilize blood sugar.
  3. It is packed with vitamins and minerals to help give energize the body.
  4. It is packed with fiber, so it may help with colon disorders.
  5. It is packed with antioxidants (vitamin A and C)..
  6. it is beneficial for low blood pressure
  7. It helps prevent arthritis.
  8. It is soothing to the stomach and helps prevent stomach ulcers.
  9. It has anti-inflammatory effects.
  10. It is also known to be an anti-aging super food.

So, eat up those sweet potatoes, friends!

Okay, so here is what we had for dinner tonight: Vegetarian Nature’s Burger and this delicious sweet potato side dish.

this is vegan

I just followed the directions on the box to make the burgers, dressed it with some avocado, tomatoes, onions, vegenaise, spicy mustard, and ketchup.

Ingredients for the Chipotle Lime Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans and Corn:

  • 6 small sweet potatoes (chopped in 1 inch cubes)
  • 2 cups of cooked black beans
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1 cup of frozen corn
  • 1 medium-sized onion (chopped)
  • 1 bell pepper (chopped)
  • 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube (mix with 1/4 cup of hot water so it dissolves)
  • Chipotle Seasoning (See seasoning ingredients below)

Mix up your seasoning mix when your potatoes are roasting in the oven.

Ingredients for Chipotle Seasoning:

  • 4 teaspoons of dried chipotle pepper powder
  • 1.5 tablespoons of chili powder
  • 3 teaspoons of dried cilantro
  • 3 teaspoons of ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons of dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
  • 3 teaspoons of dried oregano leaves

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Mix chopped sweet potatoes in olive oil and sprinkle some salt on it.
  3. Place sweet potatoes in a baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 45 minutes.
  5. While the potatoes are baking, spray olive oil spray in a large pan and saute onions and garlic for a few minutes.
  6. Then, add corn and black beans.  Saute for a few minutes.
  7. When potatoes are cooked, mix it in with the corn and black beans.
  8. Add bouillon cube mixture and your chipotle seasoning.
  9. Add chopped bell pepper and salt.
  10. Cook together for a few more minutes.
  11. Serve and enjoy!

Another Breakfast Smoothie: Fruity Kale and Carrot

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Every day…..GREEN up your breakfast!  This is such a healthy smoothie.  You have your vitamins, minerals, omega 3s and 6s, fiber, protein, and even some grains.

Ingredients (2 servings):

  • 2 cups of kale
  • 1 banana
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1/2 cup pineapple
  • 1/3 cup of blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons of raw wheat germ
  • 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
  • 3 medjool dates (optional)
  • 1 cup of almond, soy, or hemp milk
  • 4 tablets of spirulina (sea weed b12 supplement)
  • 3 tablespoons of raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup of ice

Directions: Place all ingredients in your blender….preferably a Vitamx (it makes smoothies and soups sooo much better).  Serve immediately. Vitamix Turboblend 4500 Countertop Blender with 2+ HP Motor (See all Blenders)

Spinach Salad with Tangy Tofu

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Dinner!

Ingredients:

  • Spinach
  • 1 large tomato (sliced)
  • 1 package of firm tofu (sliced)
  • Sprouts (alfalfa or clover)
  • 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
  • Seasoned salt for the tofu
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Olive oil spray (to grease the pan)
  • Fresh basil (chopped)

Vinaigrette Dressing:

  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons of aged balsamic vinaigrette
  • 1 a small clove of finely minced garlic
  • a dash of Tabasco or any hot sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for the tofu:

  1. Grease the pan with olive oil spray.
  2. Add tofu.
  3. Add lemon juice.
  4. Sprinkle on the seasoned salt and Italian dressing.
  5. Serve with your salad.

^Note:  You can also make a vegan capri with these ingredients.  Just add miso to the lemon juice and Italian seasoning, and saute with the tofu.  Then, add basil and dressing.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Macadamia and Nut Dip

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I love the delicate and almost buttery taste of these flowers.  It literally just melts in your mouth.  Squash blossoms can be used in many ways.  You can eat it by itself, use it in salads, stuff quesadillas with it, and you can even stuff and fry them.

Today, I just wanted to put together something super easy and quick.   Then, I remembered a post from my friend from Bahay Kalipay., which they served up some flowers stuffed with veggies and a raw vegan “ranch” dressing.  So, I wanted to do just that…easy to put together and easy to eat.  I altered my “ranch” just a little bit….so I can use up all of this darn basil in my back yard.

Ingredients:

  • 4 to 6 Squash blossoms
  • Matchstick carrots
  • Sliced avocados
  • Sliced cucumber

Directions:

Stuff the flowers with the veggies.

Ingredients for the Dip:

  • 1/4 to 1/6 cups of raw macadamia nuts (soaked overnight)
  • 3 tablespoons of fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons of cold pressed olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons of water
  • 1 tablespoon of minced onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 or more teaspoons of Dulse granules (use as salt) or you can use this with a few pinches of sea salt.


Directions:

  1. Blend all dip ingredients in a blender.
  2. Enjoy!

Super Healthy Breakfast Idea: Raw Vegan Cookies and Green Smoothie

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This is what we had for breakfast today!  Delicious and super nutritious!  This beats coffee and donuts!  This has lots of fiber, protein, omega 3s and 6s, and lots of vitamins and minerals.  Yay for healthy!

Ingredients for Green Smoothie:

    • 1/3 cup of strawberries
    • 1 cup of spinach
    • 1 banana
    • 1/4 cup of ice
    • 1/3 cup of non dairy milk or coconut water with agave (if you want to keep it “raw”)
    • 3-4 spirulina tablets (sea weed)…for info: Now Foods Spirulina 500mg, Tablets, 500-Count (See all Vitamin B12 Supplements)
    • 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds
    • 1/2 of a small zucchini (optional)
    • 1 small carrot (optional)

Super healthy “raw vegan cookie”

So, I took the pulp from my juice and used it to make this cookie.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of pulp (note: you can just use carrot and sweet potato pulp if you don’t want to get all elaborate with the juice)
  • 3 bananas
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
  • 4 tablespoons of sesame seeds

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor.
  2. Shape into a cookie.
  3. Place in the dehydrator.
  4. Dehydrate for 16 hours.
  5. Enjoy!

Asian-Fried-Rice-Style Quionoa with Tofu and Veggies

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Our Dinner!

I used to eat a lot fried rice as a child.  It is usually cooked with white rice, eggs, meat (fatty pork, cholesterol packed shrimp, dark meat chicken, etc.), veggies, and lots of oil.  Even though, I don’t eat the traditional “fried rice” anymore, I still enjoy the modified version which is tasty, guilt free, vegan, and healthy!

I added tofu to this dish to give it that “egg” texture that Asian fried rice usually have.  You can actually make “scrambled eggs” out of tofu.  Click here to learn how.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of cooked quinoa
  • 1 package of firm organic tofu (smashed and crumbled)
  • 1 small yellow squash (chopped)
  • 1 small zucchini  (chopped)
  • 1/4 cup of broccoli (chopped) (optional)
  • 4 large cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 2/3 cup of frozen peas and carrots
  • 1.5 teaspoons of freshly ground ginger
  •  1/6 cup of water mixed with 1 tablespoon of veggie bouillon (or just use veggie broth and add salt)
  • 2 tablespoons of liquid aminos (adjust to saltiness preference)
  • 2 tablespoons of rice seasoning (Nori Kumi Furikake)
  • 2 tablespoon of sesame oil
  • 3 pinches of turmeric (optional)
  • pepper

This is the rice seasoning I use. I love this stuff. I use it on vegan sushi, sushi wraps, brown rice, and more!

Directions:

  1. Prepare your veggies.
  2. In a wok, saute minced garlic in sesame oil for a couple of minutes.
  3. Add veggie broth/water with bouillon.
  4. Add sliced veggies and cook until the squashes are a bit soft.
  5. Add tofu (crumbled and squished between your fingers).
  6. Add ginger.
  7. Add turmeric.  Note this is for color and added benefit.  Turmeric does a body good!
  8. Cook together until the moisture is gone.
  9. Add quinoa, liquid aminos, and rice seasoning.
  10. Cook together in medium to high heat for another 5 minutes (stirring frequently).
  11. Serve and enjoy!

YUM!

I just wanted to share this with you…..

My husband is enjoys this dish with sliced cayenne pepper. SOOOO SPICY!

Crunchy Baked Okra with Bell Pepper Dip

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Fresh from my back yard!

Today, my family harvested okras, eggplants, bell peppers, and jalapenos from our backyard.  So, I decided to make something out of the okras and the bell peppers.

I like okra for many reasons.  I like the way it tastes, it is packed with vitamin A, B, C, and K, its antioxidant properties, fiber, folates, iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, and more.  It is also said that okra helps reduce cancer.  Click here for more info.

If you live in the South, you are probably familiar with this appetizer.  The okra is usually dipped in buttermilk, deep fried, and then showered with salt.  But, as always, I veganized and made it healthy for the consumption of my family (not drenched in oil, no cholesterol, not covered in salt, etc).

Ingredients:

  • 10 okras
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup of unsweetened hemp or almond milk
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup of whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup of panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Natural Ancient Sea Salt or Celtic Sea Salt
  •  1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning or any spicy seasoning blend
  • Olive oil spray (see products)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 385 degrees.
  2. Slice okra into bite sized pieces (remove top)
  3. Mix salt and spices into the whole wheat flour.

    Flour, panko bread crumbs, and unsweetened dairy free milk.

  4. Dip in unsweetened dairy free milk (hemp or almond)
  5. Roll in whole wheat flour.
  6. Dip in unsweetened dairy free milk again.
  7. Roll in Panko bread crumbs.
  8. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
  9. Spray a TINY amount of olive oil on top.
  10. Place in the oven.
  11. Bake for 25 minutes.
  12. Enjoy with dip!

Ingredients for Dip:

  • 5 tablespoons of grapeseed oil VEGANAISE
  • 5 tablespoons of Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/2 of a small bell pepper
  • 1 large clove of garlic
  • 1/2 tsp of sea salt
  • Pepper

Directions:

  1. Place all in a blender or processor.
  2. Blend together.
  3. Top it off with thinly sliced (very small) pieces of bell pepper.
  4. Enjoy!

Walnutty Chocolaty Banana Bread

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I made a yummy, walnutty, chocolaty, banana bread today for my friends who dedicated their weekend to protesting the circus in the sweltering heat.

“If we are not raising new generations to be better stewards, then there is no hope” -Dr Jane Goodall

This weekend, the circus came into town.  And, of course, my friends and I were out there to show our opposition.  Many people don’t really understand why we are out there protesting this “show”, but here it is…

We are out there to try to educate the public about the cruelty under the big top.  Countries around the world have realized that the methods of training circus animals are barbaric and cruel. They have also recognized the inhumanity of supporting such cruelty by allowing these circuses to confine these animals in very small cages, with hardly ventilation, deprive them of food/water, and force them to travel around the country and work throughout the entire year.  These are reasons why other countries have banned animal based circuses.  Sadly, America is still a bit behind.  Which is why people, like us, are outside circus venues, protesting and passing out anti-circus information, because most don’t know the truth.  They just see the circus commercials, the posters, the colors, the tents, etc..  We hope to change people’s minds about contributing to cruelty in the future.

Different animal based circuses have been charged with neglect, torture, and abuse of the animals time and time again.  Here is a recent article about the USDA filing charges against Cole Brothers (more info HERE) in relation to the”physical safety and psychological wellbeing of two elephants”, which isn’t anything new.  And, we all know that these are WILD animals, so there will be accidents here and there.  Some circus animals have have injured and even killed trainers and circus goers.  So, one should also think about the safety of themselves and their loved ones when going to an animal based circus.

If you really want to go to the circus without contributing to cruelty, check out CIRQUE DU SOLEIL!

Click on the link and watch the trailer and read the info from www.circuses.com

http://www.howibecameanelephant.com/

Here is another video:  CLICK HERE

My friends and I enjoyed interacting with the public and hanging with one another.  And, since everyone worked so hard, I decided to bring something yummy!

I basically altered my my previous banana bread recipe post and made it even more chocolaty.   It is moist, nutty, chocolaty, and heavenly!  :)

Ingredients:

  • 2 mashed bananas (extra ripe)
  • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup vegan sugar
  • 1/4 cup of vegan chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoon of vanilla extract
  • 2 egg replacer (I use ENER-G Egg replacer)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup warm to hot water
  • 4 tablespoons of crushed walnuts

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Mash bananas
  3. Add vanilla, oil, egg-replacer, and sugar to your mashed bananas.
  4. Add flour, baking soda,cocoa powder, salt, and water into the mixture and mix together.
  5. Add chocolate chips and mix some more.
  6. Place in an 8″ x 8″ pan (prepared/greased)
  7. Bake for 45 minutes.
  8. Let cool for about half an hour and serve.
  9. Enjoy!

Crunchy and Healthy Stuffed Bell Peppers

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This is a similar post to the jalapeno poppers post.  I just used bell pepper instead for those who absolutely can not handle the heat of the jalapenos.  This has more of a sweetness to it but it goes so well together (crunch, hummus, and pepper).

Ingredients:

  • Fire Roasted Tomato Hummus
  • 3 to 4 bell peppers
  • 2/3 cup of unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/5 cups of Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 to 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp of salt

Directions:

  1. Make hummus.
  2. Preheat oven to 385 degrees.
  3. Slice the bell pepper lengthwise in four ways.
  4. Spoon hummus into the bell pepper.
  5. Dip the bell pepper in the unsweetened nut milk (almond milk).
  6. Then, roll the it into the whole wheat flour.
  7. Dip it into the nut milk again.
  8. Then, roll into the panko bread crumbs.
  9. Place onto a slightly greased cookie sheet.
  10. Spray a little bit of olive oil onto the breaded bell peppers (just a little bit!).
  11. Bake for 25 minutes.
  12. Enjoy!

Kettle Corn

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Once in a while, I will crave something that is not totally healthy.  And, tonight, I was craving kettle corn!  It took me 3 minutes to make.

I just had to share this recipe because it is soooo easy!…and cheap!

I got the recipe here http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/kettle-corn/detail.aspx but I just decreased the amount of oil and sugar.

Note: I used this wok with a a lid.

Click for more info


Ingredients:

  • 1/6 cup of vegetable oil
  • 1/6 cup of vegan sugar
  • 1/2 cup of unpopped corn kernels

Directions:

  1. Heat oil and sugar in the wok.
  2. When sugar melts, add corn.
  3. Cover wok.
  4. Cook in medium to high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Move the wok a little bit while it is cooking.
  6. When corn has stopped popping.
  7. Turn off heat, remove lid, serve, and enjoy!