The Smoothie Vegetarians

Lately, I have been loving having a lot of different things for breakfast in the morning. For breakfast this week I had some roasted potatoes topped with ranch chickpeas, red bell pepper, mushroom, and avocado. Then I usually season that with onion powder, garlic, and nutritional yeast. Then I will put some fruit on the side. Another thing I like to do is make waffles topped with cashew butter and chocolate chips. I also like to have some yogurts on the side. I have recently started trying some plant based yogurts and I have really been liking So Delicious. I love doing potatoes and greens topped with chickpeas and avocados in the morning. Another thing I like doing is having some good bagels with a lot of toppings on the side. It can be fun to play around with a lot of new breakfast recipes and see what flavors can be combined. I have been doing a lot more of this lately and people always get so excited when they see my food.

When life gets busy, it can be helpful to have some quick recipes and meal ideas to help with getting through the day. Here are some good ideas for when you want some delicious foods. These recipes can be helpful if you want to snack or you can make larger portions for a full meal. The first idea is a chicken alternative with an Asian themed side dish. Trader Joes seems to have a lot of good frozen options that can go well with this. Gardein can also be bought at a lot of grocery stores and it comes with a lot of good meat alternatives. I like to use either Gardein or one of the Trader Joes meat alternatives to make dishes like these. There is also Kung Pao cauliflower which is also really good. If you cook it for a bit longer than what the package says it will also ake the cauliflower more crispy if that is your preference. On the side I sometimes like to have some veggie spring rolls dipped in a spicy sauce. I will either pair this with rice or no...

One of my favorite things to make in the morning has been potatoes with veggies and chickpeas. I usually also like a sauce to go with that. I also like to have this on the side and it can also be served with some tofu scramble and fruit or yogurt as well if thats what you want to eat. First I roast some potatoes in the oven then when they are done, then after I take them out I top them with nutritional yeast, garlic, and chives. I also like to use Biena ranch chickpea, spinach, and avocado. I love putting a bean salsa on top of the food as well to make it spicy and bring out more flavor. I also like to make onion bagels and I like to use with the GoVeggie or Tofutti cream cheese. I like top to my bagels with nutritional yeast, chives, and pink Himalayan sea salt. I also like to make sandwiches with the bagels sometimes. You can make some vegan sausage patties and put them inside the bagel. Sometimes I also put tofu scramble in them as wel...

This week I will be sharing some ideas for making taco salad and taco boats. What I did this week was I made some taco boats. There are some in the taco aisle of a grocery store and they can be baked and stuffed with any ingredients of your choice. I got some of the taco boats and baked then and while that was in the over, I seasoned some of the Gardein beefless beef and cooked it with some onion. Then when the shells were done I put some salsa and lettuce on top. Then I drizzled taco sauce and creamy homemade sauce. Then I topped it with avocado and crushed tortilla chips. If you run out of taco boats and do not have leftover shells, you can have a taco salad on a plate or in a bowl. I took all of the leftover ingredients and cooked them, then arranged them on the plate. You could also make some nachos with the leftover ingredients. You can customize the ingredients to your liking and you can leave out anything that you may not like or have in your kitche...

A lot of people think that you have to cut out tasty foods when you go vegan, but good news, it is FAR from the truth! There are many different ice creams out there and cheesecakes that I have tried that I have really enjoyed. One of the first brands I have tried was Haagen Dazs and I have tried three of their non-dairy flavors including chocolate salted fudge truffle, peanut butter chocolate fudge, and mocha chocolate cookie. Also, Breyers has an Oreo flavor that is also wonderful. They also have a peanut butter flavor that I would like to try as well. I had the oreo flavor with some fruit and the original flavor of the Daiya Cheesecake. They also have other flavors of the cheesecake including key lime, strawberry, pumpkin, and chocolate. I also love having some sparkling water, juice, or some kombucha if I am feeling like I want something other than water. This can be a better alternative to sodas if you want something with some fla...

During the week, you may want to make quick, but flavorful vegan meals. I have a few awesome suggestions for weekly vegan meals. First off, one of my favorites is ravioli, but it can be made with a healthier twist. The brand rising moon has a  lot of good flavors to choose from such as butternut squash. The brand also has other flavors including garlic and roasted veggie as well as spinach florentine. For this meal, you can put any sort of plant-based sauce. Sometimes I use a tomato based sauce, sometimes I use a red bell pepper based sauce. or I may also use a homemade white sauce. For a white sauce you can blend cashews, garlic, and any other spices you want to create a creamy sauce. I also like to have some veggies sauteed on the side for more health benefits. It can also be helpful to have some frozen things if you are extra busy like myself. The brands Sweet Earth, Beyond Meat,...

(photos by Danielle) A lot of people feel like transitioning to a healthier lifestyle will make it more difficult to be in situations like eating out. Going on to eat does not have to be difficult and there are so many articles and youtube videos showing you how to eat healthier/vegan/vegetarian when going to chain restaurants, even when there are not a lot of options. For a while, when I was going out to eat I was eating plant based at home, but struggled to stay that way when I went out. However, this does not have to be the case. You can still go out with friends and family and join in while still staying true to your morals and personal health goals.  I will be naming some restaurants that I frequently go to and also tell you what I got along with some pictures. I will let you guys know how I navigate the menu when I go out to eat. First of all, I am unable to eat dairy to begin with and get very sick if I happen to have it. To combat this issue, many restauran...

(photo by Danielle) When shopping at Whole Foods, I find some delicious foods. Sometimes it can be expensive but I combat that by buying things on sale and coming prepared with coupons. However, don't forget to treat yourself when you go in! Late July tortilla chips and salsa are one of the foods I usually pick up since it is usually a good deal. I also got some 365 chips for my family since I am not big on foods like these but I like to try them on occasion.  I picked up some milk alternatives and a creamer. I love picking up a variety of alternatives because it switches it up. I picked up some SO Delicious Coconut milk and some vanilla cashew milk by the brand Pacific. I also got a vegan cheese sauce/dip from the Brand Heidi Ho. I used this on some nachos and it was absolutely delicious.  I bought some delicious store brand food like the potato and pea samosas and pearled couscous.  I also got some chocolate and berry flavored Made G...

(photos by Danielle) Pizza is not something that you have to cut out on a plant-based lifestyle! Good news! There are so many amazing alternatives out in stores that are so amazing and that I enjoy using in many of my recipes. I have found so many recipes recently and there are still so many out there that I have not yet tried. I love doing pizza, especially when friends are over. Pizza seems to be a common food at casual gatherings, however, it can create a problem for people like myself who are unable to consume dairy. If you are the type of person who gets stomach pains from dairy, are allergic, or cut it out for ethical reasons, do not worry about it! There are so many new vegan cheeses that will not complicate your health for consuming. Also, if you are trying to stay away from the more processed ingredients, there are also so many recipes that you can make it homemade. I find a lot of recipes on youtube and Pinterest that are really helpful in finding delicious veg...