Tag: vegan food

tofu, veggies, + rice // how I make tofu

On By VictoriaIn Low Spoon Recipes, Recipes, Tofu2 Comments

This is how I’ve been making tofu for the past month. I usually put it in rice bowls, burritos, or pasta dishes when I get home from work, but today I made it with rice and a big bowl of veggies. It’s just a really quick and easy meal and I wanted to share it with you all.

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for the tofu:

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  • 1/4 block extra firm or medium firm tofu
  • paprika
  • cayenne pepper
  • black pepper
  • cumin
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder

First I cubed 1/4 of a block of tofu. Then I threw it into a bowl and mixed the tofu with the spices. I placed the pieces in my air fryer and baked them for 350º for about 15-20 minutes, flipping the cubes every 5-10 minutes.

the veggies:

  • carrots
  • red, green, and yellow peppers
  • white onion
  • frozen spinach

I steamed the carrots in a pan until they were soft, then added the frozen veggies. I used a frozen pepper stir fry mix that had all the peppers and onions in it to make it easier. I also added garlic powder and onion powder to season it. I just cooked everything over medium heat with the lid on for 10-15 minutes, at least until everything was soft.

and the rice:

I make the perfect white rice by boiling 1 3/4 cup of water for every 1 cup of rice I make. Once the water is boiling I add the rice, mix it once, then let it simmer for 18 minutes. Once that’s done I take it off the burner and let it sit for another 5minutes. After the 5 minutes I finally fluff it with a fork.

I plated everything once it was done, added a little bit of low sodium soy sauce, and topped everything with sriracha.

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It’s nothing fancy, but delicious low spoon meals are always a treat for me. Let me know how you guys like to make tofu in the comments!

Avocado Pasta

On By VictoriaIn Creamy, cheesy, pasta recipes, Low Spoon Recipes, RecipesLeave a comment

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This low spoon recipe is really easy, but makes a delicious and creamy pasta dish. For this, all you will need is:

  • 1 cup pasta (I used elbow macaroni)
  • 1/2 avocado
  • lemon or lime juice
  • black pepper
  • salt
  • basil (I only had dried basil in our pantry so I just used that, but fresh would be even better)
  • oregano
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • optional: a boca chik’n patty or any other meat substitute

First, I boiled the pasta. While it was boiling I made the sauce by blending the avocado, a few drops of lime juice, and the spices. I also added about 1/4 of a cup to 1/2 cup of water to help it blend. It’s a low spoon meal so there aren’t any measurements, I just threw everything in the blender to taste.

After the sauce was blended I microwaved a Boca chik’n patty for 1 minute and 10 seconds and cut it into squares.

Finally, I drained the pasta, added the sauce to the pasta, and mixed in the chik’n. I sprinkled some red pepper flakes on top and that’s it! A creamy pasta dish that’s super easy to make.

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Let me know if you try this out in the comments! Also, how do you feel about avocado with pasta? I thought it would be a weird combination at first, but it’s a great flavor combo, especially with the chik’n and red pepper flakes.

a junk food vegan day of eating

On By VictoriaIn Creamy, cheesy, pasta recipes, Vegan Products, What I Ate TodayLeave a comment

I just did not want to cook today. Here’s what I ate throughout the day:

breakfast? (honestly it was like 2:30pm)

I was craving fish sticks, so I cooked three of Gardein’s fishless filets and made a dipping sauce with 2 tbsp spicy brown mustard and 1 tbsp maple syrup. I microwaved them for 1 minute, then air fried them for 4 minutes, flipped them, then air fried them for another 3 so they’d be crispy.

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a very late lunch

For lunch I made a quick wrap out of Lightlife While Bean & Kale Deli Slices, Daiya American cheese, and spinach. I used the rest of the dipping sauce from earlier in the wrap too.

dinner

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Mac and cheese with spinach and buffalo cauliflower. It didn’t turn out pretty, but it was so good.

For the sauce I used:

  • 3/4 cup soy milk
  • 2 slices of Daiya American cheese
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • paprika
  • a few drops of lemon juice
  • 2 tsp of tapioca flour

Also:

  • 1 cup elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1 cup frozen cauliflower

For the buffalo cauliflower I took 1 cup of frozen cauliflower and air fried it for about 10-15 minutes on 400º. Once it was a little crispy I tossed it in buffalo wing sauce and air fried it at 320º for about another 10 minutes.

I made the sauce by heating up the soy milk on medium and melted the Daiya cheese in it. I added the spices then let that simmer for a few minutes. I added 2 tsp of tapioca starch and 3 tsp of water to a cup to thin it out, then added it to the sauce to let it thicken.This will be enough for about 2 servings of pasta.

and then oreos (mega stuf)

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That’s what I ate today! It was a very lazy day of eating.

Another Vegan Garbage Plate

On By VictoriaIn RecipesLeave a comment

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I wanted a garbage plate a few nights ago, so I made one. This is what I created.

This is definitely not an authentic garbage plate. I took the basics of a garbage plate and made it quick and easy (and vegan!). I’d recommend checking out Jenna Marbles’ video on how to make one even better: My Boyfriend Cooks My Favorite Meal.

macaroni salad

I loosely based the macaroni salad off of this recipe from Foodie Crush: How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad. I didn’t add eggs, red peppers, or pickles, and I used Apple Cider Vinegar instead of pickle juice. I also used Vegenaise to replace the mayo. I just threw everything together without measuring anything and it turned out pretty good.

potatoes

I chopped up a potato and threw it in the air fryer for about 15 minutes on 400º. After it was done baking I seasoned it with garlic salt and pepper.

meat sauce

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I took the easy route and just bought a few cans of Amy’s chili.

I mixed one can of the spicy chili and one can of medium together in a pot and added garlic powder and paprika. The meat sauce isn’t technically chili but it was close enough, plus I took the leftovers for lunch for a few days.

 

burger patty

I cooked a Dr. Praeger’s All American Sweet Heat Beet Veggie Burger and melted a slice of Daiya American Cheese on top (I accidentally bought two different veggie burgers. I meant to buy two boxes of the All American burgers, but I think I bought one Sweet Heat Beet on accident, that’s why it’s bright red in the picture. I threw the box away before I realized and could double check). The beet burgers weren’t the best for this, but they were still pretty tasty. Get Beyond Meat or the Impossible Burger if you want something more “authentic”.

This is how I put it all together: half the plate with the macaroni salad, the other half with the potatoes. Then I added the chili in between the two, added the burger on top, then topped it with ketchup and yellow mustard.

That’s how I made this super quick and easy vegan garbage plate. It wasn’t the most authentic, but it was really tasty. It’s a weird combo of flavors but it is so delicious.

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Easy Rice Noodles + Peanut Sauce

On By VictoriaIn Low Spoon Recipes, Recipes, TofuLeave a comment

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Today was another low spoon day for me. I wanted something easy but hearty, so this is what I made for lunch. It turned out really delicious so I wanted to share!

This is what you’ll need:

  • 1 cup rice noodles
  • 1-2 cups frozen cauliflower
  • 1/4 block extra firm tofu
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • a few drops of low sodium soy sauce (this is all I had on hand, but liquid aminos would work too)
  • black pepper
  • cumin
  • nutritional yeast
  • garlic powder (I used garlic salt because that was all we had but I’d recommend garlic powder)
  • cayenne pepper
  • crushed red pepper flakes

First, I cut the tofu into cubes and measured out 2 cups of frozen cauliflower. I coated the cauliflower and tofu in the spices (nutritional yeast, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper) and popped them in the air fryer for about 15 minutes at about 360ºF, mixed them around so they would cook evenly, then put them in for another 10 minutes.

I cooked the rice noodles when the tofu and cauliflower were almost done, then made the sauce.

For the sauce I mixed together 1 tbsp of peanut butter, a few drops of soy sauce, and enough water to thin it out. We also had some red pepper flakes from Papa John’s so I added in a bit of that too.

That was all it took to make this super savory, peanut-y noodle dish!

Favorite Oatmeal Recipe & Vegan Soup // a full day of eating

On By VictoriaIn Breakfast recipes, Recipes, Vegan baking, What I Ate TodayLeave a comment

Another what I eat in a day post with easy vegan recipes.

Breakfast: the tastiest oatmeal

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My favorite combo for oatmeal is peanut butter and blueberries, if you’ve never had it before you must try it. I made 1/2 cup of oatmeal with cinnamon, blueberries, and peanut butter. It was my day off, so I threw in a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips too. The brand I use is Enjoy Life, they make a bunch of variants of dairy free chocolate chips. For an exact recipe, you will need:

  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1 tbsp Jif natural creamy peanut butter
  • cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp Enjoy Life dark chocolate morsels

First, I added the dry oats to a bowl and added enough water to cover the oats. I microwaved it for 1 1/2 minutes, keeping an eye on it to make sure the oatmeal didn’t overflow while it was cooking. Then I mixed it, added a little bit of cinnamon, then microwaved it for another minute. Once that was done I added in the frozen blueberries and mixed it together to defrost them, then I added the peanut butter and chocolate chips. I microwaved it for a few more seconds, just enough for the peanut butter and chocolate chips to melt.

Lunch: Split Pea Soup with white rice

 

We found a bunch of Amy’s vegan soups when we were at Kroger, and we picked some up for lazy meals. I had half of a can of the split pea soup with some white rice. It was light in sodium, and it was so delicious! If you pick up any of the soups, just be careful because not all of them are vegan.

Dinner: potatoes and spinach

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I just really wanted some potatoes and hummus. I made a cheesy sauce with 2 tbsp of Sabra’s classic hummus, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, a little water to thin it out, and a few drops of Frank’s Hot Sauce. I made 1 cup of spinach to go with it, but I made it the lazy way by microwaving it with nutritional yeast and garlic powder.

Dessert: cookies

 

This is seriously the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe: Liv B’s Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe. You have to make these, this is going to be my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe from now on. I really wanted some homemade chocolate chip cookies and found her video on YouTube, and had to make them. They turned out delicious and chewy and I recommend trying out her recipe asap.

That’s everything I ate this day! Just trying to keep it simple and tasty, and showing that being vegan is easy. ♡

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.

What I Ate Today // vegan staple meals

On By VictoriaIn What I Ate TodayLeave a comment

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Today was stormy and a super chill day at home. Perfect for being creative, playing video games, and cooking lots of tasty vegan food. These are the meals that have become staples in my diet since they’re so cheap and easy to make:

Breakfast: tofu scramble burrito

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I scrambled tofu and added lots of spinach for a quick breakfast burrito. For spices I used paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and garlic powder. I don’t do much to the tofu, I just take a block of extra firm tofu and “scramble” it in a pan over medium high heat. Once it’s mostly cooked and most of the water has evaporated I lower it to medium and add in the frozen spinach. The hot sauce I used was Taco Bell’s Diablo Sauce. Also, I added in some hummus (I use Sabra’s classic hummus) to make it “cheesy” and wrapped it up in a flour tortilla.

Lunch: rice noodles with veggies

  • One serving of brown rice noodles
  • 1 cup sautéed cauliflower
  • 1 cup of a frozen vegetable stir fry mix (broccoli, carrots, peppers, onions, and mushrooms)
  • 1/2 cup vegan protein broth
  • black pepper
  • paprika
  • garlic powder
  • and a few drops of low sodium soy sauce

This is a pretty simple recipe: steam then sautée the cauliflower in a pan, and when it’s mostly cooked add in the frozen vegetable stir fry. Boil the pasta, and once it’s drained and the vegetables are soft combine everything in the pot.

Here’s the protein broth and noodles I used:

I have been making some variant of this for the past week to bring to work for lunch. It’s a super quick meal, really hearty, and so tasty.

Today was cosy and rainy so we stayed home, worked on some projects, and played lots of video games. I’ve been playing Pokémon SoulSilver a lot lately, so I wanted to share my Pokémon team:

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Cyndaquil was my starter, and I traded for the Onix in-game. I love how the Pokémon follow you while you’re walking around the map! It’s also my favorite Pokémon game storywise and overall a good time.

Dinner: burrito bowl

I had a burrito bowl for dinner (and DJ made tacos, they looked really good so I wanted to share those too!). This was white rice, black refried beans, a Boca chik’n patty, and spinach with a homemade cashew cheese sauce. We made the cheese sauce by combining a bunch of random ingredients, including cashews, almond milk, yellow mustard, lime juice, salsa, red onion, nutritional yeast, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, garlic powder, and hot sauce. It doesn’t sound like it, but it made a really delicious and creamy cheese sauce.

That’s everything I ate this day! I’ve been trying to incorporate more whole foods into my diet and trying to eat healthier in general. Let me know what your staple meals are in the comments or on instagram: @healthy_ghost. ♡

Tiki Loco // vegan in Dallas, TX

On By VictoriaIn Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

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Here’s a brief review of Tiki Loco, a vegan cafe in Dallas, Texas that serves vegan tacos, nachos, coffee, beer, and baked goods. Check out their website and menu here.

We decided to go out for a late lunch / early dinner because we had plans to go to a figure painting class later that night and wanted to try out a new restaurant. I had been wanting to eat at Tiki Loco for awhile now, especially after seeing their posts on Instagram. We stopped in for a quick bite to eat and had such a great experience.

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After we ordered our food I enjoyed a local vegan cider while we waited. We visit the cidercade they brew at every once in a while and have a ton of fun playing arcade games and drinking cider. It’s been my go-to drink lately, especially the flavor Crackberry. Tiki Loco had a ton of other drinks to choose from, from juice to coffee, smoothies, and even shaved ice.

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We ordered the House Original Ground Beef Nachos, the Citrus Chicken tacos, and the Pineapple Mango Sweet n’ Sour Pork tacos (all plant-based!). Everything was so delicious and so filling.

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And then as we were leaving we picked up an oatmeal cookie that we couldn’t resist.IMG_8831

The food was absolutely delicious and we enjoyed the atmosphere and music they were playing. We haven’t tried a new vegan restaurant in awhile, and even though this was a far drive for us the food was amazing and we were so happy we stopped by. If you’re ever in Deep Ellum I highly recommend checking Tiki Loco out!

What I Eat in a Day // easy vegan meals

On By VictoriaIn Low Spoon Recipes, What I Ate TodayLeave a comment

Getting back on track and trying to be healthy.

Breakfast

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I started the day with two mini bagels with Go Veggie vegan cream cheese and nutritional yeast. Then I airfried a small slab of tofu that I coated with nutritional yeast, turmeric, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. I airfried it at 400º for 20 minutes, flipping it after 10 minutes.

 

 Lunch

A sweet potato with peanut butter and a side of spinach that I defrosted in the microwave with nutritional yeast and garlic powder. Peanut butter and sweet potato is one of the best flavor combinations in my opinion.

Snack

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A Clif bar and sparkling water that exploded.

Dinner

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After I got home from work I made white rice, air fried then steamed some dumplings (instead of frying them in oil), and made another cup of spinach (that I also mixed with nutritional yeast and garlic powder). For the sauce I used 2tbsp of classic hummus, sriracha, and a splash of water to thin it out.

And that’s everything I ate today! Simple and easy vegan meals during a busy day. ♡