So, as most of you probably know, I am vegan. I don’t want to get into it too much because I am not a hard-core vegan that is disgusted by animal products and eating animals etc. etc. Nor do I have some intense persuasive argument about animal products being toxic. I went vegan 2 years ago to see how it made me feel. As a result, I have never had more energy, less cravings and felt and looked better in my life. I think it should be everyone’s goal to find an eating style that makes them feel this way. Yes, I like meat and cheese. I do eat it sometimes maybe 2-3x per year….but that’s the extent of my story. Moving on…
Even if you aren’t vegan you will love these delicious vegan recipes! I’ve even let my boyfriend try them and he also enjoys them.
Vegan Recipes…you’ve got to try them!
1. Smoothie Bowls
What fun is smoothie when you chug it and it’s over in a few minutes. Of course I drink smoothies, especially on-the-go but the smoothie bowl is so much more fun!
Ingredients in smoothie:
1 cup mixed frozen berries
1 small ripe banana
2 kale leaves
1 cup Vega One French Vanilla protein powder (any vanilla protein powder of your choice will do)
1 tsp spirulina (optional)
3/4 cup- 1cup almond milk (any liquid of choice will do)
Directions: Blend all smoothie ingredients in a blender. Pour into a bowl and top with 1 sliced kiwi, 2 TBSP goji berries, 1 TBSP flax seeds, 1 TBSP unsweetened coconut flakes, dash of cinnamon.
2. Stuffed Sweet Potato
Ingredients in stuffing:
1/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup cooked lentils
1 Swiss Chard leaf
Fresh ground pepper
Garlic Powder
Directions: Cook quinoa and lentils and put into a bowl. Add Swiss Chard and spices. Mix together and stuff into a baked sweet potato. Boom, done!
3. Veggie Spring Rolls
What’s inside the spring rolls?
– thinly sliced: bell pepper, zucchini, carrots, cucumber
– bean sprouts
Directions: Wet the rice paper (as instructed on package) until the paper becomes completely soaked and turns into the soft, rubbery consistency. Place the veggies inside the spring roll (2-3 slices of each veggie) then add the 5-8 bean sprouts. Roll up the spring roll and you are done! I like to eat mine with low-sodium soy sauce or spicy Sriracha chili paste.
4. Mini Vegan Pizza
What’s on the pizza?
– grilled egg plant
-grilled mushrooms
-organic tomato sauce
-kale
-vegan cheese
-fresh basil
Directions: First you have to find your crust! For these mini pizzas I found some vegan bread rolls with added hemp protein and they were absolutely to die for! Place the sauce, veggies & cheese on top and then back in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) until the cheese is melted (approx 10 minutes). Take them out and enjoy! Note: different crusts may require different cooking times so be mindful of that as well.
5. Stuffed Bell Peppers
What’s in the stuffing?
-1/4 cup cooked quinoa
-1/4 cup kidney beans
-2 TBSP raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
-2 TBSP organic corn
– cumin to taste
Directions: Gut the bell pepper and wash with water inside and out. Stuff the bell pepper with the stuffing and put in the oven. Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) until the bell pepper is soft. This is approx 20-25 minutes! I baked some homemade french fries at the same time and they came out just fine.