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
These enchiladas are by no means at all traditional. Traditional as in white flour tortillas and cheese and meat… blegh! Sounds like a mess of weight gain, and heart disease! Time for a neeeeeew recipe. This recipe has got kale, shrooms, quinoa, and all simple wholesome ingredients. Mmm what could possibly be more deliciously satisfying and nourishing.
Completing my master’s and dietetic internship in South Texas where cola, taki’s, breakfast tacos, and bacon fat laden pinto beans are unfortunately staples, the statistic that 3/4 of Americans are overweight or obese made sense to me. What’s crazy is that, a calorie dense, nutrient poor diet is actually quite common. Even where I live now in Los Angeles, California. I have a couple of clients who, prior to working with me, had never chopped a vegetable before. Gawd. I love my job. And these enchiladas. They’re not insanely overly stimulatingly like oh my gawd so f***ing good (if you’re comparing to something thats been salted, oiled, idk.. fried and oober processed) . Recalibrate your taste buds. And these will knock your socks off. 😛
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I like the Fire Roasted diced tomatoes from Muir Glen – no salt added)
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
The Enchiladas
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3/4 pound baby bella or button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup diced jalapeño peppers (or for V mild version, use poblanos)
3 cups kale, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
10 6-inch organic corn tortillas (I used masienda brand – just corn, lime, water)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
avocado on avocado on avocado
Steps:
To make the enchilada sauce, heat water in a medium skillet or pot. Saute onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes
Add the chili powder, cumin, thyme, tomatoes, and maple syrup
Transfer sauce to a blender or food processor, and blend till smooth. Add a little water to adjust the consistency as you wish. Set sauce aside till you’re ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pot over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp water (have some handy to add if burns off). Saute onion and garlic till onion is translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has been released and evaporated.
Add the chilis to the pot and give them a stir. Add the kale and allow it to wilt slightly. Add the cumin, sea salt (optional), black beans, corn, and quinoa. Continue heating mixture until it’s completely warm and well mixed.
In the bottom of a casserole dish, spread a thin layer of the enchilada sauce. Place about a quarter cup mushroom and quinoa mixture in the center of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla up and place it into the dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Cover them all with a layer of enchilada sauce and bake for 25 minutes. Top the enchiladas with chopped cilantro, avocado, and pumpkin seeds, and idk. More corn because noooom!!!
Also, squeeze a lime on there and, call me crazy, but I put a little cinnamon on mine and it was off the charts
So.. why is this recipe so generally disease reversing?
No Salt: although 0 calories, it is a super processed white powder (aka crack cocaine) that causes responses in the brain to make us not only want to eat more, but that makes wholesome food taste less flavorful. Cut the salt, and all of a sudden, celery, cilantro, avocado and lime dance on your tongue like a tap dancer in times square. Flavors so very exciting, no white powder added. Plus plus, high sodium intake has been shown to decrease calcium absorption / utilization. That ain’t good!!! Also also. Sodium is important. This is different than salt. Naturally occurring sodium is sufficiently found in wholesome plant foods like the veggies I mentioned a second ago. No stimulants needed. Excess sodium causes water retention, causing blood volume to increase, leading to high blood pressure, strokes, heart disease, etc.
No Oil: Talk about caloric density. Not many foods are more calories per pound than oil… are any foods more calorie per pound?? Just a tiny bit of oil adds a lot of calories with not much benefit. All it really does is make you eat more calories than you’re designed to eat plus make you want to eat more. The fat from the avocado and pumpkin seeds is fantastic. You got fiber and zinc and fresh phytochemicals and antioxidants. Avocado oil and pumpkin oil?? Mmm I’ll pass.
Nutrient Dense: Self explanatory. Every calorie is full of nutrition. Helping you to feel calm, balanced, satisfied, energized, clear headed.. not to mention beautiful bowel movements. Which is actually a huge fricken deal these days. If there’s a magazine rack in your bathroom… call me!!! You need help!!!
Intact Grains: Ok, obvi the tortillas are made of corn flour, which is not intact. The quinoa tho- that’s good stuff. And the tortillas I used were just 3 ingredients: non-gmo corn, lime, and water. That’s all you need. No gums, oils, preservatives, or fortified etc etc. Keep it simple. The more whole the better.
Beans: Resistant starch is liiife. Did you know that resistant starch in beans actually decreases the glycemic load of your next meal? Also, beans are such great sources of protein, iron, fiber. Eating them has been shown to help decrease risk of so many diseases and cancers. If you’re afraid of fartiness. Don’t fret. The resistant starches may take a couple of weeks for your gut to adjust to. Start with a little bit like 1/4 cup a day for a week and work your way up to ~1-3 cups or so / day. A healthy gut can process beans just fine. Little to no fartiness. If you’re used to eating a V low fiber diet. Warn your friends and family your increasing ahead of time hahaha.
Greens: The most nutrition per pound possible. Everything you need. Just amazingness.
Mushrooms: Should be eaten cooked. Mushrooms help decrease excess estrogen that may cause breast cancer- very well targeted, doesn’t cause low estrogen if you are healthy. Also, mushrooms contain lectins (ABLs) that recognize cancer cells and prevent them from growing and dividing. Also also, mushrooms upregulate IgA antibody secretion, helping the immune system. Also also also, they have beta glucans which also boost immune function. PLUS they make their own vitamin D if exposed to the sun!! Honestly. All plants are amazing. I just don’t have all day to tell you every magical component of everything gawd!
Onions: Eaten raw the allinaise enzyme is active and is potent cancer fighter. Onions also help to blunt blood sugar spikes. Onions and garlic are antimicrobial and help the immune system to fight viruses and fend against cancers. Scallions are great too.
Healthy Fat: Includes fiber 🙂 Necessary for healthy hormones, satiety, clarity, and overall optimal health. It doesn’t take much though. A little dab will do you.
Peace of mind: Honestly, of course. A favorable health destiny is priceless. HOWEVER I say “generally” disease reversing because I do have clients with eating disorders, amenorrhea, and anemia, and athletes who aren’t getting in enough calories and wasting away, or frail adults, etc. Who, it is healthier for them to eat more refined foods. More calorically dense foods. More stimulating foods. These recommendations are for the general average American looking to lose weight, lower their cholesterol, blood pressure, have regular bowel movements, and reverse type 2 diabetes. Have your healthy AF enchiladas, and your vegan cookies too maybe. Ok? All depends on your goals and what you, you beautiful individual, need.
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
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
What even is “tempeh”??? It is made by cooking and fermenting soybeans and forming them into a condensed patty type thing. I prefer its texture to its similar tofu brother, however, this is my first time actually experimenting with a soy product, so we’ll see! I love how it has a meaty texture and picks of flavors really well. It has a slight bite of chewiness and is full of protein, calcium, and iron. I used the WESTSOY Five Grain tempeh (which has gluten), but I’m sure any kind would be superb. Just be sure the version you get is GF if you have a sensitivity.
Serves one. About 230 calories and 14g protein per serving.
Ingredients:
1/3 block of organic “west soy” tempeh
1 tablespoon maple syrup
juice of 1 key lime or about 1/2 regular lime
1/2 – 1 tablespoon grated ginger
juice of 1 orange or about 1/3 cup orange juice
Steps:
Using a knife and a cutting board, cut off 1/3 of the block of tempeh. Turn this on its side and slice it in half so that you have 2 skinnier third pieces. Cut these two third pieces into triangles.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the orange juice, lime juice, maple syrup, and ginger, and mix with a spatula to combine
Put the tempeh triangles in the pan and allow them to sizzle on one side, moving around while sizzling.
Flip the tempeh when ready, and allow it to sizzle on the other side. Be sure to keep it moving so it doesn’t burn and add a little more oj (or whatever you’d like to add to make it even better!) if needed.
When the tempeh has soaked it up, time to eat! I had a little orange glaze left over in the pan so I stir fried some rice in there, delish! Serve with kale, rice, scallion, avocado, sunflower seeds – whatever you got! 🙂 xx
As the sun comes, up he rises. He carefully places a tender kiss on her cheek, and makes his way to the kitchen. While the pan is sizzling, the sweet smell of fresh pancakes tickle her nose. She tip-toes to the kitchen and slowly hugs him from behind. He laughs and squeezes her hand. They take their plates to the back porch, watching the wind over the water while her legs lay over his.
Give love this national pancake weekend ❤ That is just one of my zillions of fantasies / ideas for a recipe video series one day. I hope you try these. I have honestly never been so pleasantly surprised with a finished product. Eggless and flour-less, I was expecting something dense. These are light, and cakey, like all famous pancakes should be.
Makes about 6 pancakes, serves 2-3. One serving (2 pancakes) has about 345 calories and 10 grams of protein.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons chia seeds, soaked in 6 tablespoons water, (or try soaking in plant milk)
2 perfectly ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup cooked white quinoa
1 – 1 1/4 cup rolled oats, ground into flour
4-5 dashes of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup blueberries (I used dried) and 1/2 banana for topping
Steps
Stir the chia seeds into water and allow it to sit until it forms a gel
Grind oats into a flour
Mash bananas in a large bowl
Add quinoa, chia gel, oat flour, cinnamon, vanilla, and baking soda to the bowl. Mix until well combined
Spread coconut oil over skillet on medium heat
Form pancakes with 1/3 cup, place blueberries and sliced bananas on top of pancakes, and flip when ready to flip. It is ok to spread them so they are round but try not to squish / flatten them.
Serve with maple syrup and hugs ❤
Nutrient Breakdown: Based on 1 dried blueberry and banana pancake without syrup
Need a pick-me-up? These are the perfect little ball of energy. And, honestly, something about unsalted dry roasted peanuts and raisins makes my heart sing. If I had cocoa powder or maybe vegan chocolate chips, those would throw these balls out of this world! So, take what I made, and make it even better! xx
Makes 8 balls, about 90 calories each
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts
2 tablespoons ground flax
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Optional additions to try:
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/4 cup toasted coconut
Steps:
Blend ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor S blade until well combined
Using 1 Tablespoon to measure, roll into balls, and store in the fridge. Or, freeze for later!
Happy Sunday! This scramble is savory, satisfying, easy, and CHEAP! Use produce from your farmers market ❤ Inspired by Minimalist Baker’s tofu scramble… I invite you to take this as inspiration and run with it using whatever vegan goodies are in your kitchen to create something that makes you love yourself from the inside out feeling relaxed, cozy, and grateful :-*
Chickpea Scramble
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 cup chickpeas (cooked from dry, no salt or fat added)
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium-small sized potato, cubed
1 leaf lacinato kale, rolled up and sliced thin
1-2 tablespoons fresh dill
1-2 tablespoons fresh green onion
Extra love ❤
Steps:
Dry chick peas triple in size when you soak them so make sure they have plenty of water and plenty of room to grow when you saturate them and soak them for about 6 hours or over night. Drain chick peas, rinse, and boil them for about 30 minutes or until desired softness
Frying pan on medium to high heat, have water handy. Add a little water (enough so the potatoes don’t stick) and the cubed potatoes and mix to prevent sticking. Add water as needed
After the potatoes have gotten a little soft, add red bell peppers. Continue mixing and adding water if needed
Add kale, scallion, and dill and mix.
Measure 1 cup of chick peas and add those to the pan.
Serve with 2 cups mixed greens, 1/4 avocado and plenty of lemon or lime (the vitamin C in the citrus and the red bell pepper helps absorb all the non-heme iron!! 😀 )
VITAMIN KATIE 