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!
Mmmm comfort food at its finest. I love using chickpea pasta and other bean pastas. They’re super high in protein, fiber, iron, and resistant starch to really help feed your good gut bacteria- helping not only your digestion and blood sugar levels, but also your immunity and mood! Lots of nerves in the gut- feed it well!
Serves about 8:
1 cauliflower, rough chop into large florets
1 yellow onion, discard outer layer and chop into quarters
1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 avocado
1 boiled sweet potato (skin removed)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 garlic cloves
Juice of 1/4 – 1/2 lemon
16 oz dry elbow macaroni pasta (I like using banza chickpea pasta)
1 cup frozen peas
Steam onion and cauliflower until soft and translucent (about 15 minutes)
Combine steamed vegetables with salt, pepper, avocado, potato, and nutritional yeast in a food processor S blade or high speed blender and blend until smooth
Boil macaroni according to manufacture’s instructions and mix with peas. Pour sauce over macaroni and peas and mix well. Transfer to casserole dish for serving
Who doesn’tLove pasta? Yes, love with a capital “L”. For these recipes I used banza pasta made from chickpeas. Bean pasta is awesome! It is super high in nutrients like iron and beneficial fiber. Plus it is loaded with protein. It’s gluten free and only takes 7-8 minutes to cook. Obsessed. I particularly like the Banza brand because it looks just like regular pasta and has a really nice consistency. Some bean pastas that I have tried are a little mealy and chalky, this brand is nice and noodle-y. I don’t know how else to describe it 😛 Hope you enjoy these recipes! xo
Mmmm when I had this recipe the first time I could have sworn it had peanut butter and sugar in it with its gingery garlic creamy deliciousness. Its just sesame seeds and dates!? What!? So simple and I can assure you this recipe will not disappoint!
Adapted from Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Quick and Easy Chilled Sesame Noodles
Serves 6
Ingredients:
8 ounces bean pasta, cooked according to package directions, rinsed under cold water, and drained
1 pound fresh or frozen broccoli florets, steamed
1 pound mushrooms, chopped + steamed (or use another pound of broccoli or any other vegetable you love!)
1 large red bell pepper
6 scallions thinly sliced
For the Sauce
1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds, lightly pan toasted
1 cup water
2-3 tablespoons raw almonds or cashews (preferably soaked / sprouted)
3 tablespoons lime juice (or rice vinegar / apple cider vinegar)
Steps
In a high speed blender, puree all the sauce ingredients until smooth
In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta, bell pepper, scallion, steamed broccoli, and veggies with the sauce until thoroughly coated.
Divide among 6 plates and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
Prescription Pesto
Yaaas pesto :-P. This recipe has got all the medicine in it, and TBH: there is nothing I crave more. This pesto is BOMB. Don’t be fooled by the word, “medicine.” Back in the day when you used to plug your nose to get the stuff down. This powerful pesto has got the most potent DNA protecting and disease reversing foods like greens, turmeric, beans, walnuts, and garlic. And this medicine, baby. Just can’t get enoughhh yuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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:
School, work, packing for kids, or just want easy healthy lunch ideas; I’ve got you covered! Three of my favorite and most simple lunch combos. Watch this video to get the tips, snacks, and full recipes.
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
The thought of grilling gatherings used to give me the heebie jeebies! As a vegetarian / vegan / high raw / w.e., I try to stay away from the classic American foods. These recipes are absolutely perfect for meat heads and vegan, gluten-free, even nut-free health nuts alike 😉 . Last year I made my favorite Watermelon Mint Salad. Check out the recipe video honoring my Grampa here.
1. BBQ Black Bean Burger
This is my favorite black bean burger that I have made so far – adapted from Minimalist Baker’s Easy Grillable Veggie Burgers. My adapted version of the recipe is here. I love it served with cucumber and avocado because the burger has so much flavor! The cooling veggies help to balance it out perfectly. These babies are:
Easy
Cheap
Quick
Healthy*
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked brown rice (I have learned in my nutrition classes that vitamins are lost when cooked in excess water or when water is drained off. Thiamin, (aka vitamin B1) is lost as temperature or pH rises but it is more heat stable in acid, so it would be a good idea to cook rice with some lemon or lime juice, adding acidity to help retain nutrient content. Cook in amount of water that will be absorbed during cooking : 1 cup rice, use 2 cups of water.)
1 cup walnuts
1/2 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely diced
1/3 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp each: chili powder, cumin, and paprika
1/2 tsp each: salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, well rinsed, and drained
1/3 cup ground rolled oats (throw some oatmeal in the blender)
3-4 Tbsp vegan BBQ sauce*(Look for a BBQ sauce that is free of high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, >300mg sodium / serving. I used Annie’s Organic Original BBQ Sauce. I also really liked Sprout’s brand Pumpkin BBQ sauce that I got in the fall. Check out http://www.fooducate.com to compare BBQ sauce products to find a healthier option.)
Steps:
Preheat oven to 350*F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (These also work well cooked on skillet or grill)
Heat a skillet over medium with 1/2 Tbsp oil, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
To a high speed blender or food processor, add walnuts, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and blend until smooth, but not butter.
Either mash black beans with fork/mashed potato masher in a large mixing bowl or pulse them in blender or food processor. It is nice to leave some whole beans for good texture
Add cooked rice, spice-walnut mixture, sauteed onion mushroom garlic mix, maple syrup, ground oats, BBQ sauce, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until moldable dough forms. If too dry, add a tad more BBQ sauce, if too moist, add more ground oats. Taste and adjust seasoning as you’d like.
For larger burgers, divide into 5 patties (~1/2 cup in size) or form 10 smaller burgers (~1/4 cup in size). To help form the patties, line your 1/2 or 1/4 measuing cup with plastic wrap and pack with burger mix. Press down to pack firmly, then lift out by the plastic wrap’s edge, and use hands to flatten slightly on the parchment paper, forming a 3/4 inch thick patty.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes on each side for a total of 30-40 minutes cooking time.
Serve over a toasted bun with all the fixin’s like thin cucumber, avocado, tomato, and red onion 😛
2. Creamy Macaroni and Peas
This is adapted from the star item special at my home base Organic Garden Cafe ❤ It is unbelievable. My sister, (the cheese hound who without shame scrolls through #macncheese on IG on the reg), asked me to make this for her the very day I got back from my 10 day road trip from grad school in Texas. Yup it’s that good. And it happens to be gluten free, nut free, low fat, high fiber, cheap, and effortless!
Serves about 6:
1 cauliflower, roughly chop into large florets
1 yellow onion, discard outer layer and chop into quarters
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 garlic cloves
Juice of 1/4 lemon
12 oz dry elbow macaroni pasta (I like using brown rice pasta!)
2/3 cup frozen peas
Steam onion and cauliflower until super tender (about 30 minutes) and boil elbow macaroni to manufacturer’s instructions
Combine steamed vegetables with salt, pepper, olive oil, and nutritional yeast, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor S blade or high speed blender and blend until creamy creamy baby
Pour sauce over macaroni and peas and mix well. Transfer to casserole dish for serving.
Garnish with paprika, parsley, and serve to the cheese lovers in your life!
In the photo above, I used 12oz bag bionaturae brand elbows for the gluten free pasta, I thought it was pretty good! I always try new brands, what is your favorite??
3. Blueberry Corn Bread
My mother adapted this recipe from the Post Punk Kitchen’s Sunny Corn Muffins and she usually serves it with chili as in the recipe here. My mom puts in less sugar and apple sauce instead of yogurt.
Yield: 24 mini muffins
1 C gluten free all purpose flour (I used a brown rice GF mix)
1 C corn flour
1 Tbl baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C oil
3/4 C non-dairy milk
2 Tbls apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 C blueberries
fine grated lemon zest of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 400*F and grease 2 mini muffin tins with coconut oil
Combine dry ingredients (except blueberries) and wet ingredients in separate bowls and whisk separately. Fold into dry and halfway through mixing, add in blueberries and distribute well.
Pour in 8 inch pan and sprinkle a little sugar on top.
Bake for ~18-20 minutes. Mmm sweet cornbread perfection
4. Sweet Potato Fries
The image above is one sweet potato and one purple potato.
Cut into fries.
Thrown in a bowl
Tossed with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and a few dashes of cinnamon
Baked on parchment paper at 410* F for mm 30-40 mins? Nope, didn’t even time it. Just make sure they’re soft to perfection.
It is that easy. I LOVE cinnamon on my sweet potatoes but you can certainly get creative and use paprika, or herbs.. spice it up to match your flavah. Ginger powder would have been bomb too.
5. Grilled Vegetables
I have never and will never operate an actual giant grill. These were made in the panini press at 375*F. (Thank you college life #necessity=invention). Just greased the press lightly with coconut oil, and threw on some sliced mushroom, eggplant, and peeled asparagus, and BOOM! Nope, didn’t put any spices. Feel free to show me up and let me know what you did! If you are capable of operating an actual grill, my favorite veggies on a skewer are onions, red bell pepper, and zucchini. Yumm. !
Well, there you have it! Let me know how your memorial day weekend festivities go. Feel free to comment below, follow me @reinesandshine on instagram / twitter, and contact me anytime at reinesandshine@gmail.com. Cheers to life in good health! Enjoy!
The research I am doing for my graduate program is on plant foods and cancer- I am on cloud 8374378457 with all the EUREKA WHATT research that is out there!! Sulforaphane in broccoli, sweet potato protein, flavanols in cacao, cranberries, blueberries, tomatoes, the plant kingdom cures cancer!! Amazing! The best is to get organic and picked ripe because plants produce natural components called salvestrols to protect themselves from harm similarly to how the plant foods protect us. It. Is. Unbelievable. Potent cancer killers without harming the body, truly healing it. Mind, body, spirit, immunity, vitality, sustainability ❤ Eat the rainbow, reap the success, love, beauty, and happiness *starstruck*
Rainbow Citrus Zoodles
The Noodles:
4 small zucchini, spiralized
2-3 medium carrots, spiralized
1 small red bell pepper, sliced thin
2 purple cabbage leaves, sliced thin
The Sauce:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
1/3 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh scallion
a quarter sized chunk of ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp. tahini
Combine noodles in a large bowl
Blend sauce ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth
Drizzle over noodles, mix and devour with some people you love!
I made these the weekend my beautiful friend Ally came to visit. She LOVED them! These rolls are STUFFED with nothing but veggies and whole plant foods in all their glory. I love this peanut sauce recipe because it tastes BETTER than the processed ish without all the preservatives, colors, oils, salt, sugar, or anything that might make me, you know, depressed! Only happiness fuel for every cell here ladies and gentlemen!
VITAMIN KATIE 