Vegan

Vegan

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Lentil Loaf

Motivation Monday: “Eat to live, don’t live to eat.”

Hoppy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend! Things here have been busy busy busy. The past week was jam packed with exciting meetings and events, and later this week I’m off to San Francisco to speak at the 2013 Produce for Better Health Annual Conference: The Consumer Connection! I’m so lucky to have this dream job! You have no idea how happy I am to be back blogging. It’s so inspiring to hear from readers about their accomplishments with healthy eating. You guys make me so happy and proud! Love my little bunny fam!

Did you guys catch Justin Timberlake dressed as a block of tofu in the “Veganville” skit on on SNL? TOO FUNNY! I was crying laughing, and of course I spent my entire Sunday singing “Brown Rice Baby” and “Awww Veg Out!”

SNL VeganvilleYou have to watch JT’s Veganville skit!

A few days ago I asked the RFFMBT Facebook community if they have any food allergies. I found out that tons of you guys have not so fun allergies like myself. I’m not sure if I have elaborated on this before, but I am allergic to blueberry, acai berry, blackberry, boysenberry, mulberry, cranberry, goji berry, strawberries, huckleberries, current, pomegranate, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, pumpkin, zucchini, and squash. Yes you read that right, squash. I found out the hard way after eating my Acorn Squash and ending up in the walk-in just minutes later. THANK YOU EPIPEN! Just when I thought I couldn’t be allergic to anything else, I’ve been having chronic hives every single day. Ugh, it’s totally getting on my nerves! It makes me so itchy and uncomfortable that at times I can’t sleep.

I made a last minute emergency appointment with my allergist when I woke up last Wednesday covered in hives. I haven’t changed my laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, face wash, or anything else along those lines. We’re trying to determine what the heck is going on, and so far… my doctor wants to have me tested for other possible autoimmune diseases (mainly Lupus) as well as Celiac Disease. Skin/scratch testing for other allergies is out of the question since I have Dermographia. If you haven’t heard of Dermographia, it’s a skin condition in which red, itchy lines and hives appear when the skin is scratched or irritated. It’s basically a fancy word for “I can write my name on my skin.” Do any of my readers have Dermographia? I wold LOVE to talk to you!

Enough allergy talk. Onto the food! Lentil Loaf is a great option for anyone who wants to try a Meatless Monday dinner! This Lentil Loaf is hearty, filling, and packed with plant power! Also Gluten free, soy free, and dairy free! I have a feeling this one could be boyfriend or hubby approved. It’s darn good.

Why Lentil Loaf is a serious plant POWERhouse:
Lentils: Excellent source of fiber and plant based protein.
Carrots: Contains beta carotene, which is essential for eye health.
Onion: Flavonoid antioxidant, quercetin provides anti-inflammatory benefits.
Garlic: Contains antioxidant properties and helps to maintain healthy blood circulation.
Parsley: Vitamins A and C strengthen the body’s immune system and work as anti-inflammatory agents.
Walnuts: Omega-3 fatty acids.
Whole Rolled Oats: Filled with fiber to keep you full and regular.
Sun Dried Tomatoes: Vitamins A, C, E, and Lycopene.

Lentil Loaf

Lentil Loaf

Lentil LoafI placed the finished Lentil Loaf over a bed of red kale in attempt to get a pretty photo. haha. These pictures don’t do it justice!

Lentil Loaf
Serves 4-5 – Chef AJ

1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
1 1/2 cups carrots (chopped)
1 cup finely chopped red onion (about 1 onion)
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 cups raw walnuts, divided
1 cups uncooked whole rolled oats, divided
1 tablespoons sundried tomato powder – see note 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Puree the cooked lentils in a food processor until smooth. Transfer lentil paste to a mixing bowl. Puree carrots until smooth (it is ok if they become slightly liquid like. Transfer pureed carrots to the mixing bowl. Place onion, garlic, and parsley in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer onion, garlic, and parsley to the mixing bowl. Put half a cup of the walnuts and half a cup of oats in the food processor and blend until flour-like consistency is achieved. Transfer the ground walnuts and oats to the mixing bowl. Roughly chop (into small pieces) the remaining half cup of walnuts and add to the mixing bowl along with the remaining half cup of whole uncooked oats (for texture). Add sun dried tomato powder and mix all ingredients together. Lightly coat a standard 9 x 5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour mixture into the pan and bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving dish. Invert onto a plate, slice, and serve hot.

Note 1: If you cannot find sun-dried tomato powder, you can easily make your own. Just grind sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil) in a magic bullet or coffee grinder! Just Tomatoes are dryer than most, so it will turn out more like a powder. Any sun-dried tomatoes not packed in oil will work great. Store extra sun-dried tomato powder in the fridge.
Note 2: Don’t worry about cleaning the food processor in between foods as they will all be mixed together in the end.
Note 3:  You can drizzle with your favorite organic condiments such as ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce or even some leftover Vegan Tomato Soup!

Lentil Loaf

Lentil Loaf

Come to think of it, this would make excellent vegan burger patties or maybe the filling for a stuffed pita pocket! Lunch and dinner for the next couple of days… done and done!

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Dinner, Lunch, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup

Motivation Monday: “Progress not perfection.”

I absolutely love this quote, and it was told to me at the perfect moment. Although visiting Denver was amazing, I did have a small setback with my eating disorder. I’ve learned that sharing these things with others helps me get through it. My eating has been really great recently and I haven’t had the same guilt that usually haunts me, but I did fall back into ED behaviors at one point on my trip. I ended up texting a friend for support and told her what had happened. Her response, “progress not perfection. Just keep moving forward.” From that short text, I felt so content, happy, and proud of myself for recognizing what emotion and feeling caused that small relapse. From that moment forward, I was able to move on and start fresh instead of dwelling on my “slip-up.” I don’t know what I would do without my friends!

Denver was so much fun. I loved seeing my friends and laughing until we cried, and enjoyed the snow and cold weather. Since Southern California basically doesn’t have real seasons, I am rarely in the mood for hot soups in the “winter.” I had to put quotes because winter here isn’t really winter. It was 80 degrees last week. Anyways, I get tons of requests for homemade soup recipes and although winter is coming to an end, I have a recipe for you! The day I arrived in Denver it started snowing and all I wanted for days was fresh tomato soup, so I made my friend Jason (he’s a Chef!) cook up a fresh tomato soup for Erica and I. Jason is a magical wizard in the kitchen. Seriously, no words here. He made soup from scratch in a matter of minutes and it was pure bliss. so. good. so. good. When I got home I was still craving Jason’s Tomato soup, so I thought I would branch out and try making a fresh vegan tomato soup!

The recipe is simple, and the prep time is under 10 minutes! Plus it has all of the creaminess you love without the added heavy whipping cream and sodium.
Have you ever looked at the nutrition label on Campbell’s Tomato Soup? 480 mg of sodium. PER SERVING! Have you noticed that there are 2.5 servings of soup per can? That’s 1,200 mg of sodium in one can, which is near the daily recommended limit of the American Heart Association! Yikes! High intakes of sodium increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, so it’s time to toss the can of condensed soup. Another interesting fact is that food labels can claim a product to be “low sodium” as long as it doesn’t exceed 480 mg of sodium per reference amount. Don’t let the term “low-sodium” fool you! Always read nutrition labels!

So how do we give this soup that flavor that we all love?
Sun-dried tomatoes!

And how do we make this soup thick and creamy?
Hemp seeds!

  • Hemp is a high protein seed.
  • Containing all nine of the essential amino acids.
  • Filled with high amounts of fatty acids and fiber.
  • Contains vitamin E and trace minerals.

Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup
Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup
Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup 
(Serves 4) – by Chef AJ

1 lb Roma tomatoes
2 red bell peppers – seeded
1 garlic clove
6 to 8 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup whole shelled hemp seeds
2 Tbsp ground sun-dried tomato powder (see note)
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
juice of 1 lemon

Wash and cut tomatoes into halves. Wash and seed the bell peppers and cut into smaller pieces. In a high-powered blender, puree the tomatoes followed by the bell peppers. Next add the garlic, basil, sun-dried tomato powder, lemon juice, and chipotle and blend until smooth. Add the hemp seeds and blend again on full power until creamy. Serve hot.

Note: If you cannot find sun-dried tomato powder, you can easily make your own. Just grind sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil) in a magic bullet or coffee grinder!
Second note: If you have a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec, the friction of the blades in the blender will heat the soup. Simple turn the blender to it’s highest setting and let it heat for 4-6 minutes. The soup will be steaming when the lid is removed!
Last note: If you do not have a high-powered blender, transfer the finished soup to the stove and heat for a few minutes over medium high heat.

Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup
Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup
Complete your soup with a serving of whole grain crackers! I loveeee dipping crackers in my soup, so I opted for Mary’s Gone Crackers – Herb Crackers.
Why I love Mary’s Gone Crackers: Organic, non-GMO, vegan, d>airy free, wheat free, gluten free, whole grain, kosher, no hydrogenated oils, no trans-fats, and contains 450 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per 1oz serving.

Want to make your own crackers?
Checkout my Quinoa Flax Crackers recipe!

I can’t wait for a little rain in LA this week! I’m fully prepared with fresh tomato soup!

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Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Quick Kale Salad

I just found the best dressing at Wold Foods! You guys know that I am obsessed with Chef AJ’s Hail to the Kale Salad. Well, I found a quick fix for the dressing if you don’t have the ingredients on hand or are short on time. Whole Foods is now making a Health Starts Here: Sesame Ginger Dressing with no oil added. I swear this dressing was created by Chef AJ herself. It is almost spot on to her original recipe and I am soooo excited!

Quick Kale Salad
The Sesame Ginger Dressing is gluten-free and has excellent nutrition stats coming in at only 70 calories, 5g fat, 4g carbs, 2g sugar, and 2g protein per serving (2 tablespoons).
Plus the ingredient list isn’t too bad either:  sesame tahini , pear juice , almonds, tamari, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, ginger puree, chives, and xanthan gum.

To cut down prep time even more, grab a bag of Harvest Sensations pre-washed Organic Kale! There is no excuse for not eating a healthy lunch because this is the absolute easiest thing to prepare. Massage the kale with Sesame Ginger Dressing and store in an airtight container. I love kale salads after they have marinated overnight in the fridge. It really let’s the flavor absorb and makes the kale less tough.

Eating this as I type!
Quick Kale Salad

Quick Kale Salad

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Breakfast, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Quinoa Granola

Ok granola lovers, today is your day! HEALTHY GRANOLA!
Can I get a woohoo?!

Most store bought granolas are loaded with unnecessary amounts of refined sugar and contain nearly no protein. I’m a granola lover, but it’s hard for me to find a good healthy granola, so today, I made my own! Not going to lie, I burned the first batch because I forgot about the altitude here in Denver! It was totally worth it though, this granola is so delish! It has the perfect amount of crunch and sweetness with the addition of protein from quinoa. Oh ya, it’s also vegan and gluten free! I might add some raisins next time!

Quinoa Granola

Let’s talk about why this granola is so excellent!

Quinoa (keen-wah)
Quinoa is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids.
Twice the fiber over most other grains.
High in iron.
Gluten free.

Flaxseed
Fich in monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid.
Excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids.
Contains B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin,thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates.

Coconut
Great source of manganese.
Improves digestion with dietary fiber.
Contains plant-based healthy saturated fat, monosaturated fat, and Omega-6 fatty acids that promote weight loss and increase HDL or “good” cholesterol levels in the body.

Agave
Natural sweetener.
Lower glycemic value than regular refined sugars.

Quinoa GranolaQuinoa Granola
Makes 2 servings

1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 Tbsp whole flaxseed or chia seeds
1 Tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
1 Tbsp agave
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the mixture thinly on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Once the granola has started to turn a golden brown, remove from oven and let cool (this will let the granola set so you will have different sized pieces). After the granola has cooled for about 5 minutes remove from baking sheet with spatula.

You can portion this granola into halves and eat it as a little mid afternoon pick me up snack, or make it into a filling, protein packed breakfast by combining it with the following:

6oz of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 banana
1 serving of quinoa granolaQuinoa Granola
Quinoa Granola
Quinoa GranolaThe Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: banana
Whole Grain: quinoa
Protein: greek yogurt
Plant Based Fat: flaxseed and shredded coconut

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Desserts, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Valentine’s Day Cookie Sandwiches

Valentine’s day is just around the corner. You’re probably imagining a romantic day filled with love, teddy bears, flowers and chocolate. That’s right, mouth watering, stomach ache inducing amounts of chocolate. Americans will purchase around 58 million pounds of chocolate during the days leading up to V-day. Oh my goji, that’s a lot of chocolate! Instead of going the traditional route of store bought truffles in heart shaped boxes, branch out and make something healthy and delish!

These gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan bite-sized treats provide healthy plant-based fats, natural sugars, macronutrients, and tons of flavor that will satisfy your sweet tooth, give you a little burst of energy, and keep you away from the truffles! Oh, and did I mention… No baking required?!

If you’re short on time, skip the filling and just make the outer cookies for a fun dessert!

Valentine's Day Cookie Sandwiches
Valentine's Day Cookie Sandwiches
Valentines Day Cookie Sandwiches
Makes about 24 one inch heart shaped sandwiches

1 cup pitted Medjool dates (pitted)
1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup walnuts
3 Tbsp raw cacao powder (or 4 Tbsp cocoa powder)
1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Filling:
1/2 cup raspberries
2 Tbsp coconut flour
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp honey or agave
1 tsp vanilla

Blend the sunflower seeds and walnuts in a food processor until finely ground but not a nut butter consistency. Add the cacao powder and vanilla extract and blend again until mixed evenly. Remove pits from dates. Add the the dates and process until a dough like mixture is formed. You should be able to sculpt the dough without crumbling. Remove the dough from the food processor and transfer onto a large piece of wax paper. Cover the top of the dough with wax paper, and flatten with a rolling pin. Place the flattened dough in the freezer (with both sheets of wax paper) while you make the filling. For the filling, combine raspberries, coconut flour, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the filling mixture onto a large piece of wax paper. Cover the top with another piece of wax paper and use a rolling pin to flatten. Transfer the filling (with wax paper) to the freezer. While the filling is setting, remove the outer dough from the freezer and remove the top layer of wax paper. Using a 1 inch heart shaped cookie cutter, cut the dough into hearts. Remove the filling from the freezer and remove the top layer of wax paper. Using the cookie cutter, cut the filling into hearts. Place one heart of filling over one cookie heart, and top with another cookie heart to form a sandwich. Store in the freezer until served.
Note: I used frozen raspberries in the filling to expedite the setting process.

Valentine's Day Cookie Sandwiches

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