It’s definitely that time of year when we want silky smooth skin (I mean, don’t we always). Plus if you’ve ever had dandruff, or brittle hair and nails, this recipe is a must for you! Its got great sources of trace minerals like zinc and selenium as well as vitamin E and healthy fats that are so essential for a glow up. Also, the nutritional yeast is a b-complex powerhouse to help you feel super energized and buzzin like you’re made for. Not to mention is goes PERFECTLY on top of all the seasonal pesto, tomato, basil pasta perfections you’ve been enjoying lately 😛 Give this one a go!
3 Seed Parmesan Cheese
Makes ~10-15 servings
1 cup Brazil nuts
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
0.5-3 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
Blend in a food processor S blade until perfect parm consistency
Make it cherry ;P Haha have fun with this one! You seriously can’t mess it up. I invite you to truly savor the beautiful people in our lives right now and have this memorial day be one of utmost gratitude. If you are having a celebration and feel anxious around food at parties, this is your time to seriously practice self trust, self love, and release the ideas of shame around certain foods. We are here to be happy and free, and we can choose a perception that serves us. No more beating ourselves up. Just fully enjoy!
If you feel called to help those who have been wounded in war, whether that be physically, mentally, or even a loved one of a wounded warrior, I invite you to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project. This is a very progressive organization active in helping those who need it most. I am confident the funds will help. Or, if you live in the SoCal area, it would be awesome to see you at their 5k in late August.
Crust:
20 medjool dates, pitted
6 oz raw almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
Steps:
Line a 9×6 baking dish with parchment paper (feel free to try round spring cake pan, pie plate, or square pan!)
Using food processor S blade, blend the crust ingredients until well combined and pressable texture for crust, nice and chunky, not paste or butter
Press crust evenly into parchment lined dish
Cheesecake:
2 cups raw cashews, soaked in the fridge overnight and drained
So if you really knew me, you would know that I have considered myself vegan for 8+ years and I LOVE SEAFOOD. I grew up north of Boston where lobster rolls, clam chowdah, tuna melts, cod, haddock, salmon, scallops, muscles.. all of it. Were what I grew up on and 😛 I’m obsessed with. AND I chose not to purchase those foods anymore because of many reasons, a few I mentioned in the video. My mom’s birthday was Sunday May 19th and I know one of her favorite meals is a simply divine tuna melt. So I made, in honor of her, the best damn vegan tuna melt everr.
!! TuNa MeLt !!
Chickpea “Tuna”Adapted from the amazing forks over knives website
1 can chickpeas, drained and mashed
3 Tbsp tahini
1-2 tsp mustard
¼ cup onion
¼ cup celery
¼ cup pickle
kelp
Turmeric
Salt
Pepper
Mix well!
Ooey Gooey Melty Cheez:
2 C. potatoes, diced large
1 C. carrots, diced large
1/2 C. water
1/4 C. olive oil (or just use 1/4 an avocado)
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is best!)
1/2 C. nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 garlic clove (or 1/4 tsp powder)
Dash of cayenne
Boil the potatoes and carrots until soft.
Blend potatoes and carrots with the rest of the ingredients on high in blender until the cheese is extremely smooth. I use my high-powered VitaMix blender.
I’ve decided if you don’t like Mexican food, you simply haven’t tried enough of it yet. There is such variety! The colors, flavors, textures YUM! Like. They had avocado toast on lock way before it became a $15 hot ticket item at legit every cafe in Beverly Hills. The recipes I provided below are off the chaaaiinnss people. Like. SERIOUSLY. I made them with my friend Sky and she actually, after trying one chip with nacho cheese and taco meat, fell to the ground and yelled, “How have I lived so many days without this!?” lol Seriously so good. Can’t wait for you to try!
United We Dream
In this video, I put more on the table than just a few healthy recipes. As a Zumba instructor, Mexican food connoisseur, and a friend to many who identify as Hispanic, Mexican, and Latino, I gave a shout out to the organization United We Dream for taking a stand. I hope you check them out and support! With how grateful I am for all of the diversity of cultures in my life, it can be overwhelming feeling like there is nothing I can do to help. United We Dream makes it easy and I am so grateful. If you just want the recipes skip forward to 7:27 in the video.
Taco ‘Meat’:
•2 cups zucchini, finely diced
•1 cup brazil nut, ground (I used walnut)
•½ cup crimini mushrooms, finely diced
•½ cup onion, minced
•5 tablespoons Mexican chili powder
•¼ cup celery, finely minced
•2 Tbs nutritional yeast
•2 Tbs lemon juice
•1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
•1 teaspoon garlic, minced
•½ tsp cayenne
1. grind nuts into flour
2. add in chopped veggies
3. add in Mexican fiesta seasoning, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice
4. mix!
Nacho ‘Cheese’
2 C. potatoes, diced large
1 C. carrots, diced large
1/2 C. water
1/4 C. olive oil (or just use 1/4 an avocado)
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is best!)
1/2 C. nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 garlic clove (or 1/4 tsp powder)
Dash of cayenne
1. Boil the potatoes and carrots until soft.
2. Blend potatoes and carrots with the rest of the ingredients on high in blender until the cheese is extremely smooth. I use my high-powered VitaMix blender.
3. Store in refrigerator for up to a week
Baked Tortilla Chips
Small organic corn tortillas, no toxic additives in the ingredients 👀
1. Preheat oven to 400-420*F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Slice tortillas into 6 ships and spread evenly on parchment so none are stacking
3. Bake for about 15 minutes or until chips are golden and crispy 🤪🤪🤪✨ enjoy
To everyone out there who once said, “I LOVE CHEESECAKE” Look no further. Seriously.
These babes are so delish, and are actually full of ingredients for sustained calm energy, mood, and even improve digestion and immunity! How!? Well, using healthy foods like dates, pecans, and cashews of course. But also! I am a huge fan of the Lavva Yogurt company.
Their yogurt is pili nut based with 0 (zero!) added refined sugars, and 50 billion! Yes 50 billion probiotics. Probiotics are amazing for of course digestion and beautiful perfect snake poops, (yay!), but did you know that most of our serotonin (the feel good neurotransmitter) is produced in the gut? Plus, our GI is an open vessel to the outside world, and is lined with inflammatory and immune cells ready to fire to protect us from invaders. It makes sense if the biota is thrown off, our immunity and inflammation would be all over the place.
I love how this yogurt tastes and makes me feel so much that I got it for a yogurt parfait bar at one of The Shift retreats that I chef at. The ladies 1. loved it and 2. Were floored with how amazing their digestion was after just one weekend! Granted, my whole foods plant based cuisine helps peoples digestion, but honestly often people will complain of discomfort and gas due to so much fiber they are eating all of a sudden. With the addition of this effective delish yogurt, it really helped!
Growing up in a home with a perpetual aroma of freshly baked bread and an ever-replenishing plate of homemade muffins, cookies, or brownies, I could never give up milk, butter or eggs. No way. How could I? Oh, and I definitely could not ever give up muenster cheese. The divine moldy cow teet fluid suffocated in sodium and grease, in between sour dough smothered in 100% cow fat, and grilled. Divine. Delicious acne. Heavenly mood swings, bouts of depression, energy crashes, and stomachaches.
Although I am not a French trained gourmet baker, my taste buds do not lie. There are certainly ways to enjoy baking, without the harmful baggage. Here, you will learn how to make scrumptious baked goods taste the way you like, and make you feel that glowing radiant health that you deserve. What is life without energy. Only alive radiant energy in my baked goods. peace sign
Flour
“The whiter the bread, the sooner you’re dead.” ~Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Ideally, we want to transition from white flours to more wholesome flours or products.
Instead of 100% white flour, try:
½ whole grain or bean flour + ½ white flour
Make your own oat flour: blend rolled or quick oats in the blender or food processor until flour consistency
Does what you are making really require flour? I used to think that cookies and brownies needed flour until I tried white bean snickerdoodles and black bean brownies that use beans for a base instead.
Little cholesterol and saturated fat bombs. There are lots of healthier alternatives.
The tried and true is the flax or chia egg:
1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds + 3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water
Mix until well combined and let sit until it forms a gel.
For a light and fluffy product, instead of 1 egg, try:
1 tsp. baker’s yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water
Mix until well combined and gelatinous
For thick and dense products, like brownies and cookies, instead of 1 egg, try
½ cup mashed ripe banana
¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
¼ cup canned pumpkin or squash
Ener-G Egg replacer product
2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp potato starch + 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp. instant mased potatoes
2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water
Mix until well combined and gelatinous
Tip: if you need to replace just an egg white, try:
Aquafaba: Don’t pour the canned bean liquid down the drain! Aquafaba in latin means “water bean”. It is the bean water from a can or from cooking beans.
Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip it up and after beating for five minutes, the liquid will start to form stiff peaks, just like egg whites. To stabilize the aquafaba, add an acid such as lemon juice, vinegar, or cream or tartar. Use ½ teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar or ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar for ¾ cup of bean liquid. Adding an acid is especially helpful when you are making something that will not be eaten right away as it helps the aquafaba to remain aerated.
Aquafaba in Recipes:
1 tablespoon for one yolk
2 tablespoons for one egg white
3 tablespoons for a whole egg
Another egg white alternative:
1 Tbsp plain agar powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp water, whipped, cooled, and whipped again for each egg white.
There are lots of other egg replacements out there. Have you tried tofu scramble? For quiches and custards ¼ cup of pureed soft tofu works tremendously.
Milk
For a cholesterol, hormone, and unfavorable protein-free alternative try unsweetened and unflavored varieties of plant milks. Soy, almond, and rice milks are common neutral good ones.
Instead of buttermilk, try:
1 cup unsweetened soy milk + 2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar.
Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined and creamy. Equal to 1 cup buttermilk
Butter / Oil
Solid or liquid, animal or plant, it is still 100% fat, absorbed way too quickly, very calorie dense, and not health promoting. Usually, these are added to moisten the product. What’s fabulous about vegan baked goods, is that they do not need to be cooked all the way since the ingredients do not harbor food born illnesses like salmonella. So, they will certainly be ooey, gooey, and moist. Yet instead of doing so with butter or oil, replace with applesauce, mashed banana, or another chia egg.
Sugar
White sugar is stimulating, like a drug. It excites us and gets us addicted so we can’t stop thinking about it. After we have a hit of white sugar and our blood glucose levels spike, a crash follows. Leading to fatigue, depression, anxiety, and even headaches post-sugar hit. My recommendation? Stay away from drugs. Crack. Cocaine. White sugar. Etc.
Whole fruit is sweet enough! Dates are loaded with potassium (more potassium than bananas), fiber, and even have great iron and calcium too! Instead of sugar, blend pitted dates into your recipe. Make sure they are moist enough by soaking them in warm water for at least 15 minutes before using if they are too hard. They should be nice and mushy and combine easily.
Baking healthy vegan is the best. It’s super easy cleanup, no grease, no scrubbing, no flour everywhere. I love it. You actually feel like you did a service sharing these goodies with people too. No more giving away stomach aches and post-eating purging episodes. This is a real issue people. Now’s the time to inspire others with how delicious healthy baked goods can be! Your homework: Fail. Try and try again. I am certain you will make some incredible things. And I am certain some things won’t be the bees knees. That’s ok. Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. Have fun!
SNICKERDOODLES
Makes 10-12 cookies
Equipment:
– 2 baking sheets
– parchment paper
– food processor
– oven
Ingredients:
– 1 can white beans
– 1/3 – 1/2 cup pitted dates
– 1 ripe banana
– 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
– 1/4 cup nut butter (1 ingredient only)
– 1/2 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp baking soda
– chopped raw walnuts to garnish
Preheat oven to 350*F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
In a food processor with an S blade, blend all ingredients except walnuts
Scoop out about 1/4 cup of dough onto parchment and using the back of a spoon or a knife, spread into a cookie shape
Bake for about 15 minutes
Once cookies are dry enough to get off of the parchement easily with a spatula, press walnuts into cookies and transfer to a plate or cooling rack
Ahh hemp seeds! One of the most nutrient dense little foods out there. With anti-inflammatory omegas, packed with protein and iron. Look out world hemp milk is going to make a lean mean hulk outta you! 1 cup of this milk recipe has got about:
First of all, I am so honored to have met Steph from Steph’s Plate! She is such a doll you must watch her videos and get inspired on IG. Secondly, True Bistro is one of the most classy vegan restaurants I have ever been to. It is definitely swanky enough for impressing a date, yet not intimidatingly so. Their lunch menu offers brunch options of waffles, crepes, tofu scrambles, as well as classic sandwiches with burgers, salads, and they feature incredible sweets like local FoMu ice cream and fresh cinnamon buns.
Steph ordered the crepes with FoMu lavender ice cream and blueberry compote, I went for the more savory mushroom and red pepper tofu scramble with fresh home fries, salad, and a side of their smokey mac and cheese. Steph’s crepes were incredible. They didn’t, you know, “taste vegan” at all! It was so good, like an incredible dessert to me! My scramble had such a refined savory flavor profile, I was really impressed. It didn’t taste like eggs necessarily but the combo of herbs and veggies were brilliant- so delicious. The mac and cheese I actually got to take home for my sister (the cheese lover). It had a LOT of smokey flavor, almost sausage-y. Anyone who enjoys those smokey tones would adore it. Can’t wait to try the waffles and I must go for dinner!
4 Reasons: Try A Vegan Restaurant:
1. Plant Foods In Your Diet
A whole foods plant based diet has been shown to be the most effective at preventing and reversing disease. According to the USDA’s Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines:
2. Environmental Impact
It is without a doubt that eating more plant based meals is more sustainable for the long term and environmentally friendly. As described in the USDA’s Scientific Report, and watch Dr. Michael Gregor’s Video:
3. Prevent Heart Disease and Cancer
Saturated fat and cholesterol are well known for their association with causing the leading causes of death: heart disease and cancer. Fortunately, plant based diets high in whole foods with fiber containing grain products, fruits, and vegetables, can significantly reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
4. Get Inspired
Once you find out how delicious plant foods can really be, you are much more likely to want to get in the kitchen and start cooking! Keep trying more restaurants and dishes, and before you know it, every meal will be whole foods, plant based, and simply divine.
Last week I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Washington DC for a plant based dietitian job interview at the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine. They had me stay at their guest house, The Baker House, with interns who are occupants there for the summer. If you haven’t already heard of the PCRM, it is an organization whose mission is ultimately to provide evidence based expertise to save the world. You can imagine how nervous/excited this wanna-be superhero was for this interview!!!
Back to the ziti- The ladies residing at The Baker House, Sofie and Catherine, are two brilliant, friendly, open minded vegans that became my close friends insanely quickly. Catherine has made this dish a bunch of times and raved how it is always a win. Girl- you got that right! Pool money to make dinner and eat it together!? Of course!!! Which lead me to enjoy the dish that I am sure will get anyone to give more vegan meals a try. Thank you ladies!
1 24oz jar marinara sauce (we used an organic fat-free option plus some that was already open in the fridge)
1 1/2 cups vegan mozzarella shreds (we used 1 bag of daiya shredded mozzarella)
1 lb firm tofu, drained
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast or vegan grated parmesan
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese (we used 1/2 of a container of tofutti)
Steps
Boil water and cook ziti to manufacturer’s instructions and preheat oven to 425*F
For ‘ricotta’: crumble tofu in a large bowl and add in nutritional yeast (or parmesan), salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and cream cheese. Mix fully with a fork or large spoon.
Mix the cooked pasta, most of the marinara sauce, and ricotta in a large bowl
In a large baking pan, add some marinara to line the bottom, transfer the mixture in, and spread it out evenly.
Top with the rest of the marinara and finally the layer of mozzarella shreds
Cover the dish with foil and bake ~20 minutes, uncover, and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Eat with a side of greens and those people who actually get you and still like you! 😉 xo
Catherine, Sofie, and I eating takeout from ‘Hip City Veg’ on the Smithsonian Steps
Hope you had a lovely fourth! Unfortunately, after the stress of the RD (registered dietitian) exam (yes! I passed! 😀), I have not given myself a break and managed to get a pretty nasty cold. My 4th consisted of a couch, good books, and the most hydrating foods I could get my hands on. I drank lots of boxed coconut water, ate an entire watermelon, and had a few oranges, cherries, and fresh picked raspberries here and there; that is all that sounded good to me.
This is what I made myself for breakfast today:
Thai coconut curry veg amazingness.
Was going to make a green smoothie bowl of some sort, but was craving something hot and savory. Holy **** it hit the spot. It would be a disservice not to blog about it.
Thai Coconut Curry Soup
Serves ~6 people. 2 ladles per serving.
Ingredients:
Keep in mind I did not measure anything. I am amazed at myself- this is truly a special moment. Perseverance and practice make progress. ! Feel it out, use what you’ve got in the fridge, and at first tread lightly with the spices and continue to add until you’ve got the mastermind punch of spice that you desire. 🙂 Throw some fun in too. Makes it taste better.
2/3 box of low sodium vegetable broth
half of a 1lb bag of baby carrots
2 cloves of garlic (used the tiny holes on the cheese grater to finely mince)
1 large marble sized chunk of fresh ginger, peeled (used the tiny holes on the cheese grater to finely mince)
1 can of coconut milk
~1/2 tsp cayenne (you can always add more if needed)
~2/3 tsp turmeric
~2/3 tsp chili powder
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 large stalk of celery, roughly chopped
1 boiled potato, peeled and cubed (I always have boiled potatoes in the fridge, yum!)
1/4 head cauliflower, rough chop
1/4 can of Eden’s black soy beans (mom meant to get black beans, w.e)
4 handfuls of baby kale, roughly chopped (I am so lazy I just ripped it up with my hands)
fresh mint and lime to top / garnish
The products I used
Steps: this is how I made it, I am sure there are better ways…
Pour the veg broth in a med/large pot and bring to a boil with the carrots. (If you decide to substitute winter squash or sweet potato for carrot, I still recommend putting these in first to boil, as well as maybe your cubed potato if it is not pre-boiled already). This allows the carrots to cook and get soft and sweet, as well as add some flavor to the broth.
While waiting for the boil, with the smallest setting on a cheese grater (or just mince), grate the garlic and ginger into the pot. Add in onions, coconut milk, and spices. Allow to boil for about 5 minutes, and turn down heat to simmer.
Add in the celery, boiled potato, cauliflower, and black beans. Let simmer about 2-5 minutes.
I actually put the chopped kale in my serving dish and ladled the soup on top of the kale. I don’t want my kale to lose its beautiful green color or nutrients. Definitely add that in last, after you turn off the heat.
Enjoy with fresh mint and a generous squeeze of lime! Yum!
Make it your own!
I did not plan on making soup today, I simply used the random veggies I had in the fridge and things I happen to find in the cupboard. Play with different vegetables that you might have like bell peppers, zucchini, basil, idk, mm brown rice? Go crazy with it! Nom nom! xoxo much love and good health to you and to me!!
VITAMIN KATIE 