Category Archives: Vegan

Lazy Girl’s Slow Cooker Berry Banana Oatmeal

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I wouldn’t really call myself “lazy” as a general rule of thumb. But you better believe, if I can find a shortcut way to do something and still have it come out halfway decent, then I’m definitely “lazy”!

I usually make a big pot of slow cooker oatmeal ever week and my husband and I eat off of it for our breakfasts. I usually have to add all the “fixin’s” to it in the morning. So, why not make it one time with the fixin’s already added? Ah hah! I spy “lazy girl”!  Here’s my solution – a all natural, no sugar, vegan breakfast that is filling and a healthy way to start your day!

Berry Banana Slow Cooker Oats

Slow Cooker Berry Banana Oatmeal

Serves 4.

  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 3 cups water
  • 3-5 dates (depending on how sweet you prefer your oatmeal. I used 3, but I don’t like my oats overly sweet)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen berries
  • 1 ripe banana, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (optional)
  • 1 tea cinnamon
  • Dash of salt
  1. Put half the water and all the dates in a blender or food processor. Puree the dates until they are fully integrated into the water.
  2. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook 3-5 hours until the oats are completely done and it’s all warm and bubbly.
  3. Serve immediately or put it in the fridge and scoop a bit out every day to reheat for breakfast.
  4. If you’d like, top with additional fresh berries and slivered almonds.

Slow Cooker Thai Tofu & Lettuce Wraps from the Leftovers

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I saw a recipe pop up for slow cooker Thai chicken the other day and I realized that I had all the ingredients on hand to make a vegetarian (actually vegan!) version. YAY!  It looked easy, tasty and I thought I’d give it a go. The results did not disappoint. It truly was easy and it tasted amazing. Final icing on the cake? I was able to put my leftovers to good use by making them into lettuce wraps the next night at dinner!

A couple of things of note…  I ate it before I took a picture of it. So, just take my word for it that it looks good too. Also, the 1 Tbsp of saracha in the recipe makes it pretty hot. If you don’t like spicy foods, I’d drop it down to just 1/2 Tbsp.  If you’re not a tofu fan, you can also adapt this same recipe to use a Faux Chicken product such as Quorn Chik’n Cutlets or Gardein Chick’n Scallopini.

Slow Cooker Thai Tofu

Serves 4. Recipe based off of Shrinking Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbsp PB2 (or 1/4 cup of peanut butter)
  • 3/4 cup light coconut milk
  • 1 Tbsp Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (use 1/2 Tbsp if you like less heat)
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 package extra firm Tofu, sliced in 1/2 inch slabs
  • 1/3 cup chopped peanuts, for topping
  • 4 Tbsp chopped cilantro, for topping
  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts, for topping
  • 8oz Whole wheat pasta
  • 1 cup shredded carrots

Directions:

  1. Combine PB2 or peanut butter with coconut milk in a medium bowl.
  2. Add in Sriracha (or less), lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, and ginger. Stir well to combine.
  3. Coat the tofu with the mixture and place in a slow cooker. Pour half of the remaining mixture into the slow cooker. Retain the other half in the refrigerator for use later.
  4. Cook on high for 2 1/2 – 3 hours or low for 4 – 5ish hours.
  5. Cook and drain the pasta. Heat remaining peanut sauce and carrots in the pasta pot, cooking over medium heat until well combined and carrots are slightly limp. Add the pasta back to the pot and stir well to combine.
  6. Serve tofu over the top of the pasta. Top with chopped peanuts and cilantro.

 

Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps from the leftovers

Ingredients:

  • Leftover Thai Tofu (recipe above)
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 can water chestnuts, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup green onions, for topping
  • Leftover bean sprouts, for topping
  • Leftover cilantro, for topping
  • Lettuce leaves (iceburg, romaine or green leaf), washed and dried

Directions:

  1. Cut the leftover tofu into cubes. Heat over medium heat along with carrots and water chestnuts.
  2. When it’s heated through, add green onions and serve with lettuce leaves, bean sprouts and cilantro.
  3. Eat by placing a bit of the tofu mixture into the lettuce leaf, roll it into a wrap and devour!

Mixed Berry Granola. Low Fat. Low Sugar.

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I love sprinkling granola over the top of my yogurt in the morning or as an afternoon snack. I usually eat plain yogurt with fruit, so the added sweetness of the granola helps take the ‘bite’ out of my unsweetened yogurt. The problem I was having is this… Most granolas purchased in the store are filled with more oil and sugars that I prefer, not to mention they are usually fairly pricy! So, I tackled it myself.

I gravitate to granola on the fruitier side and one of my favorites is Trader Joe’s Lowfat Mixed Berry Granola, which I still buy it in a pinch. Here is my rendition of Mixed Berry Granola.

Mixed Berry Granola. Low Fat. Low Sugar.

Mixed Berry Granola. (low fat, low sugar)

Approx 20 servings. (2Tbsp per serving)

  • 3 cups Oats
  • 1/4 cup Slivered Almonds
  • 1/4 c Applesauce, unsweetened
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil, warmed til it’s a liquid
  • 2 Tbsp Honey (Vegans can use agave syrup or brown rice syrup)
  • 2 Tbsp Strawberry Jam (no sugar added, preferred)
  • 1 tea flaxseed meal (optional)
  • 1 tea Vanilla
  • Dash of Salt
  • 1 cup Freeze Dried Mixed Berries or Strawberries, lightly crumbled

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F
  2. Mix all ingredients together except Freeze Dried Fruit until well combined and oats are moist.
  3. Spread the mixture in a 9×13 pan or on a cookie sheet.
  4. Bake 30-45 mins, until browned and crunchy. If it’s still not brown and crisp at the end of 45 mins, mix and continue baking, checking every 5 mins.
  5. Cool completely. Add Freeze Dried Fruit, mix well.

Nutrition (Approx 2 Tbsp) (approx): 80 cal, 2.5g fat, 13g carb, 2g fiber, 2g protein

Vegan Blueberry Quinoa Bowl – Using Leftover Quinoa for Breakfast

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Vegan Blueberry Quinoa Bowl

I almost always have quinoa leftovers sitting in my fridge from using it for dinner. My primary use is to throw a pile of it on my salads for an extra protein boost to my leafy greens. But the past … Continue reading →

Citrus Beet Salad with Arugula and Avocado

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I am always challenging myself to make salads that have enough flavor in and of themselves that they don’t even need dressing. When you have a sad looking iceberg lettuce salad, the only thing that makes it actually taste good … Continue reading →

Vegan Flatbread Pizza with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

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2013_01_21_vegan_flatbread

I was craving a healthy, delicious pizza. So, into the kitchen I went! Inspired by this recipe, I decided to play with the red pepper sauce and make it my own. And then I just went from there with ingredients … Continue reading →

Creamy Red Pepper Sauce & Dip

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2013_01_21_red_pepper_dip

The original recipe called for red peppers and feta cheese. And while I love feta (and this sauce is probably amazing with feta), I was really wanting a non-dairy, vegan version that still would be delicious and creamy. What makes … Continue reading →

Vegan Indian Coconut Pudding (Gajar Halwa)

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I tasted what they were calling “Carrot Cake” at a local Indian Restaurant a few months ago when I was there for lunch. It tasted wonderful and I went in search of it online to see if I could find … Continue reading →

Vegan & Vegetarian Tofu Stir-Fry

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For years I’ve been creating mushy, crumbly, and – quite honestly – gross tofu stir-frys. As a vegetarian, married to an Asian, you’d think I would have this one mastered. It was embarrassing. Thankfully this story doesn’t end here. My … Continue reading →