Tag: healthy eating

Vegan Corn Chowda’

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If you can’t tell, I’m in a soup mood. After a long day at work, running errands or anything else that takes over the day, putting on a pot of soup is really the ultimate comfort. One thing I have missed about eating dairy is the creaminess cheeses, heavy cream and milk give to soups, mac and cheese and lasagna. I am lucky enough to have figured out a way to get the same creamy goodness of a non-vegan corn chowder and made it vegan! Say sayonara to the dairy version and say HELLO to this tasty soup that is sure to please your loved ones.

What You Need: 

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 5 small red potatoes, diced
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrot, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 3 cups of vegetable stock
  • 3 cups of sweet corn (either fresh or frozen-whatever is available)
  • 1 4 oz. can of finely diced jalapeños
  • 1/2 cup of dairy free creamer (coconut creamer is THE best if you can find it)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

How To Make it: 

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot and add onions, garlic, celery and carrot. Sauté until golden. Add potatoes and stir to coat. Let cook over medium high heat for a few minutes.

2. Add stock and mix well. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and cover until potatoes are tender.

3. Add can of jalapeños, corn, dairy free creamer to the mixture. Stir and continue to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.

4. Add salt and pepper to soup. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with some sprouted grain toast or your favorite crackers!

Bon Appetit (oh and don’t forget no beef here)

 

Vegan Broccoli Cheeze Soup

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As I continue to heal and recover from my concussion, I am really fond of making soups. I have little to no energy to create extravagant meals and soups are the best. One of the things I miss about pre-veganism are creamy soups so I decided to take on a vegan version of one of my favorites: Broccoli Cheese. This vegan take is sure to have you convinced that this is JUST as good as the dairy version and just a tad better for your health!

Here is my adapted version of a recipe I found on my favorite Vegan blog, Oh She Glows. Check it out!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 2 large heads of broccoli,  chopped (or 2 bags of precut broccoli from Trader Joes)
  • 2 large peeled & chopped potatoes
  • 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast 
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or crushed red pepper flakes)
  • Vegan cheeze sauce, divided (see below for recipe)
  • Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste
  • Daiya cheese, to garnish
  • Smoked Paprika, to garnish

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil, onion, and garlic over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Cook for about 5-6 mins.

2. Add in the celery, broccoli, and potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Now, add the broth, nutritional yeast, and cayenne pepper and simmer for another 15 mins or so until the potatoes are just fork tender.

3. Meanwhile, prepare your cheeze sauce (see below) while the soup simmers.

4. Carefully transfer the soup (in two batches) into a blender. Blend until almost smooth and place back into the pot. Stir in the cheeze sauce. **PLEASE BE CAREFUL AS SOUP WILL BE HOT**

5. Top the soup with Daiya cheese and serve immediately!

Cheeze Sauce (yields just about 1 2/3 cup of sauce):

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cup unsweetened, unflavoured coconut milk
  • 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp cashew cheese (optional, not needed)
  • 1/4 cup Daiya cheddar cheese
  • 1 tbsp Earth Balance or other non-dairy buttery spread
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. In a skillet or pot, melt the Earth Balance over medium heat.

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour and 1/4 cup milk until all clumps are gone.

3. Whisk in the remaining milk (1.25 cups) as well as the milk and flour mixture into the pot. Now whisk in the nutritional yeast, cashew cheese and Daiya cheese. Reduce heat to low-medium.

4. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste and whisk frequently over low heat until the sauce thickens up, for 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Remove from heat once thick.

I made a few adaptations to this cheeze sauce recipe since I’m not a huge fan of mustard and I really, really love the flavor and creaminess of cashew cheese. I’m sure this will be a hit at dinner tonight!

I hope you all enjoy this fabulous and delicious recipe. I enjoyed it twice, for dinner and lunch! Yum!

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Peace, love and NO BEEF!

GK

Fab Dinner Ideas for Busy People

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Hey there lovely readers!

I hope my fellow Northeast peeps are safe and warm from this past weekends snow storm. Luckily the Bronx did not get too effected. I have definitely dealt with worse in Syracuse. I remember tropping it to class in nearly 5 feet of snow. Now just imagine my 5 foot 2 inch self walking in snow nearly as tall as I am. Crazy right?

As I sit here on this lovely Sunday evening I have become inspired to leave you lovely peeps with some potential dinner recipes for the week! These are super easy and delish. You can whip these up in NO time.

Recipe 1: Veggie Pasta Salad with garlic & olive oil sautéed asparagus and bruschetta.

What you need:
(For Pasta Salad)
1 bag of vegetable pasta (available at Trader Joes), cooked to al dente and cooled. Set aside.
1 cup cooked broccoli (I prefer to sauté with garlic & olive oil until tender but with a nice bite to it)
1 cup sautéed spinach (sauté with broccoli)
1 cup sautéed kale
1 vine ripe tomato, diced (or a handful of baby heirloom tomatoes cut in half)
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (NOT in oil. You can get them in a bag from Trader Joes!)
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of Italian dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

(For sautéed asparagus)
1 bunch of asparagus, stems trimmed
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

(For Bruschetta)
1 French baguette (or ciabatta bread), cut into one inch slices at an angle
2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil (plus more to add to drizzle on bread)
2 cloves of garlic (for rubbing on hot bread)
2 large beefsteak tomatoes (I used multiple colors for visual pleasure)
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup freshly chopped basil

How to make it:
1. Combine all ingredients for pasta salad. Set in fridge until serving time to allow for flavors to combine. Feel free to use any extra fresh basil as garnish.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, place slices of baguette. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Put in oven for 8 minutes or until slightly brown. Let cool for a few minutes before rubbing garlic cloves on the bread.

3. Prepare tomato mixture. Combine tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Toss in basil. Let sit aside until bread has cooled completely. (Note: sometimes I just LOVE adding diced shallot into this. Not very traditional but I love the extra crunch component).

4. Sauté asparagus in a skillet. Sauté until bright green. Do not over cook. The crunch really makes asparagus fab!

Recipe 2: Baked Purple Potatoes with roasted Brussel sprouts and Gardein Vegan Chicken Patties

What you need:
4 purple potatoes (or any other potato you like)
1 bag of Brussel sprouts, halved (the steam in a bag sprouts work great)
1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
2 tablespoons grade A/B pure maple syrup
1/2 cup slivered chopped almonds
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 bag Gardein zesty marinara vegan chicken cutlets (prepare according to package)
**Tip: prepare vegan chicken in a skillet with two teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and any dried herbs for extra flavor and a crunchy exterior**
Vegan butter, sea salt, pepper for flavor

How you make it:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the mean time prep your veggies. Wash the purple potatoes. Drizzle olive oil or rub vegan butter on the potatoes and sprinkle sea salt on the potatoes. Wrap potatoes individually in aluminum foil. Place in oven and cook until you can poke a fork in the potatoes.

2. On a baking sheet, arrange Brussel sprouts and drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt. Place in oven when potatoes are half way done (after about 10-15 minutes). After about 5-8 minutes, remove baking sheet, drizzle maple syrup and scatter the cranberries. Cook until golden and slightly tender. NOTE: Do NOT over cook these. That’s what gives the sprouts an awful smell. After about 5-6 more minutes of cooking they should be done but this depends on your oven. Eyeball them.

3.Once golden, let Brussel sprouts cool and toss almonds with the sprouts and cranberries.

4. Prepare Gardein patties according to package instructions and my yummy tip. 😉

Recipe 3: Vegan Taco Tuesday/Thursday/Any ol’ day

What you need:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 leek, washed and sliced
2 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Cumin, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper to taste
Homemade guacamole (see my recipe here: http://goo.gl/PvxEX)
Your favorite salsa (I love Trader Joes Pico De Gallo)
Spinach, Tomatoes, Jalapeños, Red Onion diced (all your choice)
Whole wheat whole grain tortillas

How you make it:
1. In a sauce pan, over medium heat, sauté leeks with olive oil and garlic. Let leeks become translucent. Once translucent add black beans. Season with cumin, black pepper, sea salt and more garlic (if you’re a garlic lover like I am). Turn heat to low and let cook for 5 more minutes.

2. While beans are cooking, prepare guacamole, chop other veggies for taco assembly and set aside.

3. Warm tortillas in a skillet. Remove warm tortilla and place on plate and begin assembling tacos!

I hope you are inspired to create some delish dinners this week!

Peace, love and no beef!

Guramrit

(P.S. I actually LOVE Brussel sprouts)

You Are What You Eat

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I’m a firm believer that you are what you eat- what you put into your body effects your entire being. You may not realize it but that bag of potato chips has more of an effect on your mood, well being and health than you would expect. Ever wonder why you feel lethargic, on edge, jumpy or just plain old moody? Think about the things you’re eating on a regular basis. Sure, it’s much easier to grab take out on the way home from work but what you don’t realize is you’re sacrificing great health for convenience.

Though your schedule may not permit you to make conscious healthy decisions, you can make the effort to set aside time to prepare for the week ahead. Get on over to the grocery store or the farmer’s market and opt for fresh produce and less processed foods. Processed foods can have a negative impact on your body because of the simple fact that it is not natural. By opting for more fresh ingredients and planning out a menu for the week (if not the week, how about the next few days) you’re giving your body the chance to feel energized naturally (without the caffeine), you’ll feel more motivated and overall feel much happier. Weave in some daily physical activity and your body will thank you.

Make conscious decisions for long lasting results and remember, you are what you eat.

Peace, love and healthy eating (and no beef of course!),

Guramrit Khalsa