Category: Recipes

Savory Pasta with Veggies // easy vegan recipe

On By VictoriaIn Creamy, cheesy, pasta recipes, Low Spoon Recipes, Recipes, rheumatoid arthritis, Vegan ProductsLeave a comment

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Here’s the perfect meal for a low spoon kind of day.

I’ve been bringing this meal to work for lunch for the past few days because it is so easy and only takes a few minutes to put together.

You will need:

  • 1 cup rice noodles
  • 2 cups sautéed cauliflower
  • 1 cup collard greens, or whatever frozen greens you want to add
  • 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup vegan protein broth
  • black pepper
  • nutritional yeast
  • garlic powder

First, I steamed then sautéed the frozen cauliflower in a pan. I didn’t add any oil, just a bit of water so the veggies wouldn’t stick (but try not to burn the cauliflower and set off the smoke alarm like I did, hah). I defrosted the collard greens the laziest way by microwaving it for 1 minute in the microwave, then taking it out to mix it and add in some nutritional yeast and garlic powder, then heating it for another minute in the microwave. While the veggies are cooking boil the pasta. I make a lot of pasta at a time for easy leftovers.

After I drained the pasta I put it back in the pot and added the veggies, tomatoes, the protein broth, then the spices. I heated it over medium heat for a few minutes to warm up everything together.

The second meal pictured above is just with leftover penne instead of rice noodles and minus the cauliflower so it was much faster and easier to make.

And voilà! A really easy meal that’s really tasty. You can also serve it with more nutritional yeast on top or add some hot sauce, and use whatever veggies you like.

Veganized 5-Layer Burritos

On By VictoriaIn Recipes, Vegan Products1 Comment

One of the last things I ate before I made the decision to follow a vegan lifestyle was a 5-layer burrito from Taco Bell (I was vegetarian at the time and ordered it without meat, so it was more like a 4-layer burrito?). It was also my favorite thing to order at Taco Bell.

The normal layers in a 5-layer burrito are:

  1. Seasoned beef
  2. Cheese
  3. Beans
  4. Nacho cheese sauce
  5. Reduced fat sour cream

Obviously that is not something that I’d order or could make “fresco style” (substitute dairy for pico de gallo), but I’ve been craving one recently. So, here is my decadent vegan version:

  1. Seasoned beef:
    • Instead of using the usual vegan ground beef replacements (my go-tos are Boca Veggie Crumbles or Beyond Meat Crumbles) I picked up some seitan from our local Sprouts. I warmed it up in a pan with some coconut cooking spray and it was really flavorful and savory. IMG_8028
  2.  Cheese:
    • I picked up Follow Your Heart’s vegan cheddar cheese from Sprouts too.IMG_8027
  3.  Beans:
    • Winco has some amazing refried black beans with jalapeno peppers and no lard. IMG_8026
  4. Nacho cheese sauce:
    • I made the cheese sauce out of 1 cup of cashews, enough soy milk so that it would blend and be creamy, 2-3 tbsps nutritional yeast, a splash of lime juice, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, salt, a little bit of yellow mustard, and a few drops of hot sauce (sounds weird, I know, but it turned out pretty “cheezy”). IMG_8024
  5. Reduced fat sour cream:
    • I found a lot of recipes for vegan sour cream on Pinterest and chose to try this one from Loving It Vegan: Vegan Sour Cream – Tangy and Rich. It turned out SO good. The consistency and flavor were spot on.  IMG_8025

Here’s the finished result! This was so amazing and satisfied the craving. I feel like I say this in every blog post, but you really can veganize everything:

♡

Make tofu scramble with me

On By VictoriaIn Breakfast recipes, Recipes, Tofu3 Comments

I took a hiatus from YouTube for a few months, but I just posted a new video! It’s about how I make my favorite breakfast.

We’re housesitting for the next few days, and with a much larger kitchen than our own I wanted to make a short cooking video. I was going to make some tofu scramble before work and thought the lighting was good, and just wanted to film it. So here’s the recipe video on how I’ve been making tofu scramble. What’s your favorite breakfast to make? Let me know what you think in the comments! ♡

What I Eat in a Day // kinda healthy eating + cauliflower stew recipe

On By VictoriaIn Recipes, What I Ate Today2 Comments

The thing that makes me the most upset about my rheumatoid arthritis is how often I get sick. I love my job, but I get sick so easily. I always try to eat a healthy diet, but try more so whenever I’m not feeling well.

Here’s some food I ate today to try to feel better.

Breakfast: avocado, white rice, leftover curry, and tofu dumplings

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I was craving white rice. I always do when I don’t feel well. When I had the flu all I wanted was white rice topped with Chao cheese. For lunch this day I had some leftover curry with white rice (the curry had vegan protein broth, potatoes, chickpeas, and vegan beef, I think it was Boca veggie crumbles), half of an avocado, and Nasoya’s Tofu and Vegetable dumplings. Instead of cooking them in oil I’ve been putting them in the air fryer before steaming them in a pan with water and they turn out so much better.

Snack:

I used Triscuit’s avocado, cilantro, and lime crackers and topped three with hummus, three with Go Veggie vegan cream cheese, and all of them with tomatoes, dill, and black pepper.

Lunch: leftover macaroni and cheese

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I customized Hot For Food’s mac and cheese recipe from her cookbook last night with what we had on hand and to make it “healthier” (i.e., minus the vegetable oil). We used to go out with friends to macaroni grill and we’d always get the mac and cheese, so we bought penne to mimic it. The pasta absorbed the sauce overnight, so I added a little cashew milk but that didn’t help much. The before and after sitting in the fridge is what’s pictured above. It was still absolutely delicious though.

Dinner: cauliflower stew with chickpeas, potatoes, and carrots

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This was such a random recipe that turned out really good.

For the base:

  • Sauté onions and garlic in a pan with coconut oil (I used about 1/4 of a white onion and 1 clove of garlic).
  • Add in frozen or fresh cauliflower. I used 1 bag of frozen cauliflower. Steam until soft.
  • Blend that all together with enough cashew milk to let it blend easily.

I added the blended cauliflower mixture back into the pot on medium heat, and poured in more cashew milk to thin it out. For spices I used cayenne pepper, paprika, black pepper, a little bit of salt, garlic powder because I couldn’t taste the garlic, and a pinch of dried oregano. Then I added in cubed potatoes and let them cook in the simmering mixture for a few minutes. I added in chopped carrots after the potatoes cooked for a bit, then a can of chickpeas.

Once the potatoes were soft I served it. DJ suggested adding some Daiya to it and honestly it brought it to the next level, especially with some sriracha on top.

I recommend trying it with some vegan protein broth in the base if you want it more like a soup, and maybe adding in nutritional yeast (we were out of both or we would have tried it).

I tried to eat healthier today and tried to get in lots of veg. I would have added in lots more leafy greens if we had any on hand, especially in that stew. Let me know what you like to eat when you’re not feeling well. Do you go for comfort food or healthier options? Tell me what you think! ♡

what I eat in a day // hummus edition

On By VictoriaIn Breakfast recipes, Recipes, TofuLeave a comment

In this what I eat in a day post I wanted to highlight one of my favorite vegan foods to eat and cook with, and that is hummus. For these recipes I used Sabra’s classic hummus (not sponsored, but if someone from Sabra sees this, hello!)

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Breakfast: Tofu scramble, spinach, white rice, and a cheesy hummus sauce.

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First, I made the white rice. My recommendation for cooking white rice perfectly is for every 1 cup of rice simmer it in 1 3/4 cups of water. I let it simmer for 18 minutes covered, then move it to a cool burner for another 5. Once the 5 minutes is over I’ll fluff it with a fork.

While the rice was simmering I scrambled some tofu over medium heat. For spices I used turmeric, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and nutritional yeast.

For the spinach I sautéed it with just paprika and more nutritional yeast.

Finally, the sauce. I used 2tbsp of hummus with 1tbsp nutritional yeast, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and a little bit of water to thin it out. I also topped mine with sriracha for a little extra spice.

(My serving was 1/2 cup white rice, 1/3 of a package of tofu, and 1 cup of spinach.)

Lunch: dumplings and some more white rice.

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We buy these pre-made dumplings from Winco. I air fry mine so I don’t have to use oil, then I add them to a pan I preheated on medium high heat, add 1/4 cup of water, and quickly cover them for 1-2 minutes.

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For this hummus sauce I used another 2tbsp of hummus, a few drops of soy sauce, a splash of sesame oil, and sriracha.

Dinner: lentils and pasta with a hummus sauce

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I threw this together one morning for lunch before work, and now I’ve been eating it almost every day this week. This is some jumbo elbow pasta with green lentils and spinach. I mixed it all in a bowl with hummus, lots of nutritional yeast, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. I store the pasta and the lentils separately, and whenever I want to make lunch or dinner I’ll measure out the portions and heat it up. This one is so easy, even when you’re in a hurry.

(This serving was 1 cup of pasta, 1/2 cup lentils, and 1 cup of spinach.)

Basically, I’ll just put hummus in whatever I’m eating.

Vegan English Muffin Pizzas

On By VictoriaIn Low Spoon Recipes, Recipes, Vegan pizza2 Comments

Another veganized recipe.

Here’s a super easy recipe that’s especially great for lazy days or days with flare ups.

We used to make English Muffin Pizzas all the time when I was a kid. It was always a treat to make, but I haven’t made them in years. We were having trouble finding vegan english muffins, but on one of our rare trips to Walmart we saw that the Great Value english muffins are vegan and we had to make them.

We had some leftover homemade marinara sauce that we made by blending tomatoes and adding garlic powder, onion powder, and basil. It’s definitely not the way my mom makes it, but it was good for something fast.

For the cheese we used Daiya mozzarella style shreds and mixed it with garlic powder, oregano, basil, and black pepper.

Finally we topped them with Yves veggie pepperoni, baked them in the air fryer until the daiya melted and the muffins toasted, and served them with a small side of Annie’s Vegan Mac (the cheddar flavor is my favorite, but we added in some nutritional yeast, black pepper, and paprika).

This was so easy to make and so delicious. Have you ever made english muffin pizzas before? Let me know in the comments! ♡

The best vegan breakfast sandwich

On By VictoriaIn Breakfast recipes, Recipes, TofuLeave a comment

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I made what I believe is the best breakfast sandwich yesterday morning, and I had to share it.

What you’ll need (for one serving):

  • 1/4 block of tofu (I cut mine in half, then cut those halves in half into skinnier patties)
  • Sourdough bread
  • Chao Creamy Original vegan cheese
  • Avocado (mashed)
  • Lightlife Deli Roast Turkey style slices (this is what we had and they’re really good, I also like the Tofurky deli slices)
  • Spices: black pepper, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder

After I cut the tofu I lightly covered the sides with the spices. Then I cooked it in a pan on medium heat until it was cooked on the outside and still a little soft on the inside. I didn’t want to use oil, and my non-stick pan did it’s job pretty well but use oil if you need to prevent it from sticking. Once it was cooked I put a slice of the vegan cheese on top and covered it until it melted.

While that was melting I toasted the bread in the oven and mashed the avocado.

Finally, assemble it! This is what my finished sandwich looked like:

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I was going for a fast food style “egg” patty sandwich when I started making it, but it quickly turned into a decadent one! Plus it was also only 390 calories and so filling. What’s your favorite breakfast food? Let me know in the comments!

(We made some more the next day on english muffins.)

Vegan Burrito Bowls // what I’ve been eating lately.

On By VictoriaIn Recipes, rheumatoid arthritisLeave a comment

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I have been eating burrito bowls a lot lately. At least once a day I’ll throw one together with whatever we have in the fridge. This one in particular has been my favorite, so I wanted to share it. Here’s how I make this “Better than Chipotle” burrito bowl:

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Ingredients:

  • Brown rice (1 cup cooked)
  • Black beans (1/2 cup)
  • Frozen kale (3/4 cup)
  • Frozen corn (1/4 cup)
  • Frozen red peppers, green peppers, and onions (3/4 cup)
  • Mild hatch chili hummus (2 tbsp)
  • Texas Pete’s hot sauce (this is just what DJ and I have been putting on everything lately)
  • Spices (to mix in with the veggies): garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika.

1. First, I made some brown rice according to the instructions on the package. This one had me add 1 cup of dry rice to a pot with 2 cups of water, bring it to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes.

2. In a pan I defrosted then sautéed the peppers and corn. I didn’t add any oil, just a bit of water when it started to stick. Then I added in the kale, black pepper, and garlic powder and let that cook for a few minutes.

3. While that was cooking I drained and rinsed the black beans. Once the brown rice was done cooking I fluffed it then added in some black pepper.

4. I put everything in a bowl, added a scoop of the hummus, and covered it with hot sauce.

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This is perfect for lazy days or days with flareups, since it is an easier, low effort meal that is really tasty and nutritious. Let me know what your favorite combinations for burrito bowls are in the comments.

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Adding in chickpeas is really good too:

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Pumpkin Hot Chocolate // easy vegan recipe

On By VictoriaIn Recipes, YouTubeLeave a comment

I uploaded a new video on my YouTube channel on how we made some pumpkin hot chocolate. We filmed it for one of DJ’s classes, but I used some of the footage to put a YouTube video together. Here’s what we used:

  • Silk Chocolate Soy Milk (about a cup)
  • 2 spoonfuls of canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup of water (add it to taste, I like my hot chocolate consistency to be thin and not super sweet)
  • a small handful of dark chocolate dairy-free chips
  • vanilla extract
  • pumpkin pie spice
  • a little more cinnamon, even though it’s in the pumpkin pie spice
  • Dandies Vegan Marshmallows to top it with.

This made about 3-4 servings.

This was also the first time I used Adobe Premiere. I was using iMovie before and wasn’t able to correct the color like I wanted to. It’s going to be fun to learn how to properly edit videos and make them look professional.

Like I said in my last post, I’ve been adding pumpkin to everything and I thought this quick drink we put together turned out nice. Let me know if you guys have been on a pumpkin craze lately too, or if you try making some of this pumpkin hot chocolate.

spinach and pumpkin pasta // quick and easy vegan recipe

On By VictoriaIn Creamy, cheesy, pasta recipes, Recipes1 Comment

I love pumpkin. I used to hate it growing up, but now whenever fall arrives I make as many pumpkin recipes as I can.

I made this spinach and pumpkin pasta the other day for lunch and it turned out so delicious. This was super easy and quick to put together, plus it’s a pretty cheap meal.

For the sauce you will need:

  • 1/2 can of pumpkin
  • 3-4tbsp classic or garlic hummus (we used Sabra’s classic hummus)
  • 1 cup cashew milk (we used Silk’s unsweetened cashew milk)
  • black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper.

You will also need frozen spinach and pasta. We didn’t have anything other than lasagna noodles, so I just used those. I cooked six sheets so I could have it for a few days.

In a (separate) pot while the pasta was boiling I added in the pumpkin and cashew milk. I used about 1 cup, but make it however thick or thin you’d like. I mixed it together to thin it out, then added the hummus and spices in. I let all of that heat up while the pasta was boiling.

After I drained the pasta I poured the sauce over the noodles and added the frozen spinach. I cooked it until the spinach thawed. I would also recommend mixing in some Frank’s hot sauce if you’d like it spicy (we did).

That’s it for this recipe. I know it was really simple but it was warm and festive, and perfect for the rainy weather we’ve been having. Let me know if you try it out in the comments!