Sweet Potato Casserole for the Lazy

As soon as that teasing little cold front came in last weekend, I've totally been in the fall mood. I'm ready for my house to smell like pumpkin spice and cinnamon apples.
I randomly began craving sweet potato casserole, but of course I wasn't exactly willing to put in the effort. So I basically came up with the laziest possibly way to get it, and it turned out to be pretty delish.

Sweet Potato Casserole for the Extra Lazy:

(Serves 1)

1 Sweet Potato
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Raisins 

{Yep, that's it}

Method:

Chop the sweet potato into chunks.
Pulse a few times in a food processor until it's pretty shredded.
Place it in a pot and cook on med-high for about 5-10 minutes just to soften it a bit.
Put it back into the food processor (or blender) with cinnamon and nutmeg, and blend until smooth. Stir in the raisins by hand.


That's a college student Thanksgiving right there people.
It's actually really yummy, try it out!
Also, you can blend yams without even cooking them, if yams are your thing. It's pretty amazing. I mean, who wants to wait for a sweet potato to bake in the oven for 45 minutes? Not me. 

 

Tofu Scramble

Personally, I can eat a bowl of oatmeal every morning and not get tired of it. But for those of you who are more into scrambled eggs or breakfast tacos, this is a vegan alternative for you. First off, let me say that I think people are too harsh on soy products. I am completely aware that soy is one of the highest genetically modified products, which I think scares a lot of people away. Also, there's some weird myth that soy makes you more feminine (I think you know what I'm talking about). So many people try to be like, "I can't believe you eat soy, it's so bad for you." 


1. Soy is in almost EVERYTHING. If it's processed, there is soy in it. There is soy in Oreos. There is soy in pre-made cake / brownie / cookie mixes. There is soy in almost all of the bread you buy. There is soy in cereal. There is soy in taco seasoning. There is soy in CHOCOLATE. If it's processed, there is a 98% chance that there is a derivative of soy in it. 

So it kind of annoys me when people say they don't eat soy and that I shouldn't be eating it, but in reality they probably are eating it everyday without realizing it. Next time you go to the store, read the ingredients on the back. Look for names like "soy lecithin," "soy protein isolate," "diglyceride," "monoglyceride," "textures vegetable protein (TVP)," and others. 

2. I personally believe that if you buy 100% organic, non-GMO certified (by the Non-GMO Project) that it is perfectly O.K. to eat soy. I look for this stamp of approval:

I think the main take away here is to research information for yourself. Don't believe that something is good / bad for you just because that's what someone told you. And that goes for what I say too. Don't just take my word for it. Look it up for yourself using credible sources. 

Ok, so now that I got that off my chest, let's get goin' with the recipe.

What you need:

1 package of organic, extra firm tofu
half red onion
bell pepper
zucchini
kale
tomatoes
mushrooms
(any veggie you want really)
cumin
turmeric
garlic


Method:

Slice up the onion and bell pepper and get it on your skillet (med-high)
While you're waiting for it to soften, open the package of tofu and drain out the water.
I then place the block of tofu on a paper towel to absorb some of the excess water.
Slice up the veggies you want and get them on the skillet
Using your hands, just crumble the tofu into the skillet and stir into the veggies.
Add you spices. I do a lot of cumin and just a little turmeric.

Once the vegetables are soft, you're ready to go. 
Add some salsa and wrap it in a tortilla for a breakfast taco.

If you would like to check out which products have received the stamp of approval from the non-GMO project, go to www.nongmoproject.org

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Raw Burrito Wraps

I'm fairly new to the concept of a raw vegan diet, but lately I have been experimenting with it. If you aren't familiar with a raw foods diet, basically it means that you don't cook anything. It's all raw forms of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Sounds crazy, huh? Or perhaps it sounds incredibly boring. Trust me, I thought the same thing. But I have been looking into it quite a bit, and I have been completely amazed. I just imagined salad after salad after salad, or just chewing on a carrot every meal. But I was sooo wrong. A raw food diet could almost be considered an art. Some of the recipes and blogs and restaurants I have discovered have just completely blown my mind, and made me feel like I knew nothing about food and what you can do with it.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm headed towards 100% raw vegan, but I have been incorporating it into my life. At this point in time I eat raw vegetables and fruits in between meals for a snack, but also I have been consuming raw meals just a few times a week. Juicing is also a great way to get nutrients from the raw. 

So, I present to you the raw burrito wrap. I wish I could say that this was my own brain child, but I must give credit where credit is due. I discovered this recipe from thisrawsomeveganlife.com. If you would like to be adventurous, check out her blog. It is seriously amazing...I read it quite often. Click here for the recipe!

Raw Burrito Wraps

Have you ever tried eating raw? Or would you try it?

Leave a comment below!

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What Vegans Eat for Breakfast: Oatmeal Bowl

A pretty common question I get is, "What does a vegan eat for breakfast?!" Although there are many breakfast options, I'm a sucker for a good oatmeal recipe. I eat oatmeal every morning, and I never get tired of it. Mainly because there are so many different ways to change it up to keep it from getting boring. So, here is my typical everyday oatmeal bowl recipe. I will post more recipes involving oatmeal soon!

What you need:

1/2 to 1 cup Old Fashion Rolled Oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 ripe banana
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 (or more) sliced strawberries
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans here. Sometimes I used walnuts or almonds)
2 tbsp hemp hearts
2 tbsp chia seeds
1-2 tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (optional)
cinnamon

Method:

Put the oats in a small pot and add water. (I find that if I am cooking on a gas stove I need more water, but on an electric stove I need less.)
Once the oatmeal has absorbed all the water, pour into a bowl.
Smash your banana until it makes a smooth paste-like substance. Stir into the oatmeal.
Add everything else!
The almond milk is optional. After adding all the flax/chia/hemp seeds, it can become extremely dry. The almond milk works great to make it creamy again.

I love adding smashed banana to my oatmeal because it makes it perfectly sweet without having to add any sweeteners or sugar.

Some days I'll be craving some chocolate, so I will put some raw cacao powder in my oatmeal with a whole smashed banana. You can even throw in some peanut butter and you would have a little Reese's peanut butter cup theme going.

Independence Week Round-up: Brownie Kabobs & Cheezecake

The Fourth of July holiday time was too busy for me to blog, so I will sum it up in one post. The holiday was expanded into an entire week for my family which was a lot of fun. 

My family and I drove down to my grandma's house for our family get-together on the 3rd, and I brought a couple dishes along with me. (Usually to make sure that I get to eat desert also :D)

Black Bean Brownie Kabobs

For the brownies (adopted from chocolatecoveredkatie.com):

2 15oz cans of black beans (no ingredients added)
4 tbsp. cocoa powder (no sugar added)
1 cup of dry oats (quick oats work the best, but old fashion is fine as well)
2/3 cup of agave nectar or maple syrup
4 tbsp of coconut sugar (or just add more agave/syrup)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/4 cup of applesauce (no sugar added)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup + 1/3 cup of dairy free chocolate chips (not optional!)

Icing:
Vegan cream cheese
lemon juice
maple syrup
powdered sugar

For the kabobs:
Kabob sticks
Strawberries
Blueberries

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Blend all the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a blender or food processor. Then stir in the chocolate chips in with a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 min. When the timer goes off I usually just poke the center with a fork, and if it comes out clean then it's done. Otherwise keep it in for about 2-3 minutes longer.

 Once the brownies are done, let them cool off and sit for awhile.

Next, make the icing by adding all the ingredients into a food processor. Pour into a bowl and put it in the fridge until it thickens.

Once the icing has thickened, I spread it on each brownie piece. Then I just began loading each kabob! 

They were a big hit with the kids! (And adults too)

 

 

That night I had also made another desert, which was a raw vegan "cheesecake."

Star-Spangled Cheezecake (adopted from keyingredient.com)

What you need:

2 cups macadamia nuts

1 1/2 cups cashews

1/2 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup shredded coconut

6 tbsp melted coconut oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/3 cup agave nectar or maple syrup

1 tbsp vanilla extract

6 tbsp water

berries for decoration

Method:

Soak the macadamia nuts and cashews in water overnight or at least 5 hours. (Pain in the butt, I know.)

Blend the macadamia nuts and dates in a food processor until it becomes crumb-like.

Sprinkle the shredded coconut flakes onto about an 8-inch dish.

Dump the macadamia mixture onto the dish and smash down with your fingers until it's evenly dispersed.

 Next, drain the cashews and put in the food processor/blender along with the coconut oil, agave/syrup, lime juice, and vanilla extract until it becomes creamy. Add the water to help.

Pour the mixture over the crust, spreading evenly.

Freeze for at least 2 hours.

Once frozen, add the berries and you're good to go!

*Serve immediately. It melts quickly!

I also made this same dish for Mother's Day, and it was a big hit! However, I think I will keep experimenting with difference raw cheesecake recipes until I find the perfect one.

 

Other meals from the week:

Eating Out: Spiral Diner & Bakery

This past week my brother and I stayed with my aunt in Austin for a week to help around the house, and spend some time with my cousins. On Saturday we then had to go up to the Fort Worth area to attend a wedding reception for our friend Amy. With both the reception and the hotel's food choices being a bit limiting for my vegan diet, I was desperate for some good vegan food. I knew there just HAD to be some place in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area that we could scope out before we drive back to Houston. And man, did I find a good one. It was called Spiral Diner & Bakery. This restaurant is 100% vegan–not a single animal product available. So it just makes it that much easier, and exciting, to order because I know that I can eat anything!

My brother refused to get out of the way of this picture.

The inside was legit, but we decided to eat outside since the weather was so nice!

Nacho Supremo, aka DA BOMB

Cowboy Burger

Gluten-free burger with a nut-based patty

Protein Platter

Jamaican BBQ Sandwich (mine)

Homemade Peanut Butter Cup

Raw Chocolate Carrot Cake

 

 We also had several milkshakes as well, but we scarfed them down too quickly for me to snap a picture. They were delicious!

I really enjoyed eating here. I have never had such a difficult time ordering...there were just so many choices! They had tons of wraps/burritos, burgers, salads, sandwiches, and even pasta! I can't wait to go back and try something else.

Quick! Make a Taco Salad

Sometimes you just don't have time to cook, or maybe you just don't feel like it. I think that's usually when it's tempting to bust out the processed food from the freezer–hot pockets, chicken nuggets, pizza–but it's really not necessary. There are many healthy options that you can easily whip up on a time crunch. For example: taco salad.

I love to make myself a taco salad for lunch right before I need to leave to go somewhere. It's just a ridiculously easy thing to make.

To build a great taco salad, here are the basics:

• A leafy green. I used a spring mix, but you could even use spinach leaves if you like.
• A bean. I prefer black beans, but sometimes I'll use pinto beans or even re-fried beans. Central Market came out with a canned re-fried bean that is completely healthy.
• Corn. Something about corn just always makes a dish feel more Mexican. I like to get the Central Market frozen sweet corn. Central Market is certified non-GMO.
• Salsa! Check the ingredients on your salsa to make sure it doesn't have anything ridiculous. 
• Extras: Avocado/Guacamole. Luckily HEB makes fresh tubs of it daily. I always hit that up when I'm at the store. I also added mushrooms, but you could really just get creative with it.
• *I seasoned my beans for more flavor: cumin, garlic & onion powder.

 Taco salads are pretty much a staple for lunch in the summer for me. The ingredients are things that we constantly have in the house anyways. So it's a pretty reliable and convenient meal. 

You could take it a step further and wrap it up in a tortilla to make it more filling if you wanted to. I bet that would be delish.

What's your favorite thing to put on a taco salad?