The Smoothie Vegetarians

Quick and Easy Stuffed Artichoke First, let me apologize for not posting last week but I was literally at my wit's end. What does that even mean? To be at your wit's end means that you are so worried, confused or annoyed that you don't know what to do next. I am sure everyone has felt this way from time to time. Have you ever wondered what to do when you are in this state or where you can turn to that you won't be judged? Many times you feel like you are alone and although you will get through it. It would definitely be easier if you had supportive people around you during the journey. Could you sit with a group of women and be totally honest?   Would you feel totally confident that anything you said would not be repeated or discussed outside the group?  Do you have a place where you can freely speak your mind and not be judged?  Not many people have this type of outlet but you can have it if you create it. Two of my very best friends wer...

Hope everyone had a great week! I have a great easy meal that takes only minutes to prepare and is sure to be a hit with the entire family. It contains one of the most versatile ingredients I have found which is canned jackfruit. What is jackfruit? Jackfruit is an exotic fruit which many people consider to be an excellent vegan or vegetarian meat substitute based on it's texture which is similar to that of pulled meat. It is perfect as a filling for sandwiches or tacos as a filling and resembles pulled pork. Since jackfruit doesn't have a strong flavor on it's own, I like to marinade it in BBQ sauce to give it a burst of flavor. I have not yet experimented with the actual fruit itself but I am a huge fan of the canned variety that is sold at Trader Joe's. If you are anything like like me, I love recipes that can be used as a basis for multiple meals, which is why I am doing the jackfruit tacos today. I find that different kinds of bean salads are a stapl...

I like to make a lot of Asian inspired meals. I have been learning how to cook over the years, and the more I do it, the more I find out what I like to eat. Some of my top meals are of this type because I love the flavors. I prefer foods that are spicy, but from time to time I like to have foods with sweet and sour sauces. With all of these ways to customize meals, I can change things up and make both eating and cooking an enjoyable experience. For a while, it was a challenge to find certain ingredients in the store, but as these vegan brands are expanding, they are becoming more easily accessible to the population. I am delighted to find out that more and more people are trying these vegan products!!! (photos by Danielle) I usually have a number of ingredients, but I switch it up depending on what sauce I plan on using and what other ingredients I have in my house at the time, usually I make recipes consisting of veggies and a grain. I like to use the sweet and...

Hello everyone! It's another wonderful day! What I have prepared today is eggplant parmesan. Which is wonderful just as a heads up. I am not a fan of eggplant, but I do enjoy it in this dish. There are minimum modifications to do to this recipe to make it vegan. So instead of using the typical egg wash for the recipe to bread the eggplant, we are going to use an almond milk mixture. And of course, vegan cheese for the recipe. Enjoy! -Maranda Ingredients 1 medium eggplant  1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup panko bread crumbs  2 Tbsp vegan parmesan+ more for serving 1 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk 1 tsp cornstarch Pasta Marinara Sauce Directions: Slice eggplant into thin rounds slightly less than 1/2 inch thick, and sprinkle each side liberally with salt. Let rest for 15 minutes, then rinse and arrange on a clean absorbent kitchen towel. Top with another clean dish towel and lay a baking s...

Hey guys! With tomorrow being the 4th of July I thought it would be super awesome to share a Vegan Black Bean Burger recipe! This will be something you can make and enjoy at a summer barbecue.  The easy vegan recipe can be prepared the night before and then you can cook it a few minutes before you want to eat it. This is my favorite recipe for barbecues. I ask whoever is on the grill to grill it up before the meat or after (make sure they know to clean the grill and use new utensils). In my experience, most people are happy to do that if you let them know in advance. If they do not want to do that then you can bake them inside. Either way, they are delicious! Happy cooking! ~Stella~ 2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup diced mushrooms 3/4 cup shredded, chopped spinach 1 1/4 cup oats, coarsely ground 3/4 cup chopped onion 2 1/2 Tbsp. Vegan Worcestershire sauce 4 tsp. cumin 6 cloves roasted garlic -Using a fork, pres...

Hello everyone! For my first recipe on here, I decided to go with something simple to make. I used to make this a lot when I didn’t feel like making anything else. Now the original recipe calls for Crème fraîche, which is a type of thick cream using heavy cream and the option of buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt. But, never fear. For there is an alternative.  Enjoy!!! -Maranda- Ingredients : ½ lb Celeriac (celery root) 1-2 Granny Smith Apples 2 Tbsp Lemon juice Dressing : 3 Tbsp Vegan Crème fraîche (1 ½ tsp Obia Naturals Sweet Almond Heavy Cream and 1 ½ tsp Silk Almond Dairy-Free Yogurt) 3 Tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Mayonnaise 1 Tbsp Nature’s Basket Organic Dijon Mustard 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp sugar Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Cut away the outer rind of the celery root and cut it into matchsticks size. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 4 cups of water and 2 Tbsp lemon juice. Rinse the celery root and add it to the boil...

As a part of my Zero Waste Journey, I have been trying to reduce the number of things I need to purchase premade. MY goal is to either purchase them in a glass container that can be reused or recycles. The other option is to make it myself! Most of the options for tahini are either sold in plastic containers or are extremely expensive. So then I decided to learn to make it by myself. If I was being honest, tahini is a huge staple in my diet. I use it at least once a day. Between salad dressings, hummus, and a verity of other dishes I go through a ton of it. To my surprise, it was actually really easy to make. Tahini is essentially a sesame seed paste. Sesame seeds can be easily purchased in the bulk section at your local grocery store.  If you tried this recipe and loved it or have a suggestion for improvements, let me know in the comments below! Happy cooking! ~Stella~ Tahini Recipe Makes 3 cups 4 cups sesame seeds 1/2 cup vegetable oil ...

Hey guys! Today I wanted to share with you a hummus recipe. Hummus is one of my go-to snack items and it can be so expensive to buy. I was asked to make it for a family gathering not that long ago and they suggested that I try to make it from scratch. After doing a bit of research and asking around I realized that it is so easy to make!  I was able to make a big batch of it in 15 minutes and it cost me $2.00 to make double the amount that I usually get from the store for $5.00. I thought that this was so awesome that I could not share it with you guys! This is seriously a skill every vegetarian and vegan should have. Even if you are not a good cook, you could figure this one out pretty easily. This recipe is a pretty basic recipe. You can add other ingredients to make other flavors. For example, you could add roasted red peppers to it or you could add lemon juice to it. If you search there are thousands of things you can add to your hummus. Hummus can be used for ...