The Smoothie Vegetarians

I've been slowly but surely trying to replicate all my omni husband's favorite recipes to vegan versions, and I finally got around to getting a veggie replacement for his beloved jambalaya. I was surprised at how simple this dish actually is once you get past the vegetable chopping. Basically, toss it all in a pot and let it simmer. You should go from start to serving in about 45 minutes, depending on how fast you dice. I'm a slow chopper who tends to eat while I chop, so dinner takes forever when I'm cooking. Be forewarned, this may or may not be some historical or authentically Cajun recipe for jambalaya. I have no idea. I just love the flavor so that's good enough for me. If it's not "real", feel free to leave a comment but I'm not changing it. My lovely vegan jambalaya in a pretty blue bowl. Vegan Jambalaya Recipe Like my famous chili , this is another one of those recipes that you can be pretty flexible with. Feel f...

(photos by Danielle) Breakfast is such an important aspect of the day and it is essential for energy through the day. If you are like me, I am usually running around so breakfasts can be a bit challenging. I usually alternate between a few things, but having a large breakfast can help for fuel for the rest of the day. I notice on the days that I pack a lot of nutrients into breakfast, I feel so much more energetic through the day. This can help me be more productive and happier when I am working and then have classes at night. There are so many recipes out there that are great for starting out the day with.  (photos by Danielle) A delicious recipe you can make in the morning are banana pancakes. I make my oat flour first by blending up a packet or two of oatmeal. Then I add my wet ingredients.  2 packets of oatmeal 1 banana ¼ or ½ cup of milk alternative depending on how creamy you want the pancakes  Optional: if you want fruit in your pan...

Vegetarians often still eat eggs but vegans do not. Taking actual egg dishes out of the menu is easy enough, though you can still make a wicked scrambled "egg" dish with tofu. But what about all those recipes that need the egg as a binding ingredient? The unique qualities of an egg mean you can't just leave it out and you have to find a replacement that has brings the same chemistry to the recipe. Handy options to make vegan egg replacements There's an old vegan joke about someone who heard you can replace egg with applesauce, but isn't too happy about how his omelet turned out. I said it was an old joke, not a good one. But the point is pretty clear. Yes there are many ways to swap out the eggs in recipe, providing you know which is the best option for any specific recipe. Banana This is a tried and true option for a lot of baking recipes that require the moisture and binding qualities of an egg. A small ripe banana that has been mashed up c...

Breakfast is such an important meal for getting your first boost of energy for the day, but some people struggle with getting healthy food in. I have been trying to switch my breakfasts up more often lately and have been trying a lot of new things. I have been trying to incorporate a lot of fruit into breakfast for essential vitamins in my diet like vitamin C, D, E, and K. Another thing I have noticed since switching my diet and lifestyle is that I have been so much so productive in my day and have not been getting tired. I have not needed as much coffee and I really only drink a little because I personally like the taste. ' (photos by Danielle)  For this first breakfast, I have a waffle topped with peach, pomegranate, blackberry, and raspberry. I have also made a tofu scramble, which I like a lot because it does not have that rubbery texture like eggs do. I usually break up some tofu in a pan and season it with ginger, paprika, turmeric, garlic, and nutritional yeas...

Happy Tuesday everybody! I hope you guys as always had a great  weekend . Today is Halloween!!!!!  And since a lot of my recipes have had tofu in them the last few times. I figured what better topic to  discuss!!  So ,  th e post for this week will be all about tofu. I know tofu isn't everyone's favorite food item, but I wanted to give a little backstory on it, and what it can be used for.    Tofu is a bean curd that is made by coagulating soy milk (I know, sounds kind of gross, but it is interesting making tofu from scratch) . It is said to have originated about 2,000 years ago in China,  a huge component in East Asian   cuisine , and is popular in vegetarian meals .   There  are  three different "kinds" of tofu.  You  have soft (silken), firm, and then extra firm.    Soft Tofu has a high amount of water texture, and has more of a custard-like texture. As you guys know from my last...

One of my all-time FAVORITE foods is Chinese food. The other day while I was at the store I had the idea to make a tofu Chinese inspired dish. After gathering all of my ingredients, I rushed home and came up with this recipe! This dish had about 10 minutes of cook time, and I don't know about you but I am a sucker for quick Vegan dinners! The last thing I want to do at the end of the day is to stand over a hot stove preparing a meal. This recipe would be perfect to prepare before work and cook when you get home. I have been told tons of times that tofu is nasty. That it has a nasty texture or that it is flavorless. I am going to share a few of my "Top Secret" tofu tips with you. The first tip is to remove as much water as possible. You can do this by putting two paper towels and setting something heavy on top of it. Like a book or cast iron skillet.   The second tip is to marinate it. When people say that tofu does not have any flavor, they are completely...

Very few things are as strange these days as explaining my new eating lifestyle to people. My mom is convinced that I’m trying to force a strange new way on my children, and only feeding them tree moss and potpourri.  My five year old son has staged a full revolt.  He says he’s NEVER giving up his meat! (Not that I’ve asked him to)  Heck, even I found it very strange that some of my Thanksgiving decorations - various winter squashes - became meals the following week. I called it “repurposing the centerpieces”. The best term to describe my way of eating is reducetarianism.  On the website, reducetarian.org , the description is as follows: “It is composed of individuals who are committed to eating less meat - red meat, poultry, and seafood - as well as less dairy and fewer eggs, regardless of the degree or motivation. This concept is appealing because not everyone is willing to follow an ‘all-or-nothing’ diet. However, reducetarianism is still inclusive of veg...