Fig Cheese Pizza

Balsamic, Fig, and Bleu Cheese Quinoa Pizza

This pizza is adapted from a local restaurant Mad Fox Brewery. When I first went to the restaurant I thought it sounded odd. After tasting it however, I found it was absolutely delicious. The tastes of the bleu cheese and fig combine perfectly. If you love figs I would definitely give this recipe a try.

Pesto Veg Bowl

Quick Pesto Veg Bowl

Whenever I need something super quick to cook up for dinner, I always cook up a little vegetable bowl. It can be super satisfying after a nice long workout at the gym and you can mix up the vegetables and proteins to make it the perfect treat for you.

Chickpea Cakes

Sweet Potato Chickpea Cakes

These chickpea cakes are so tasty and can be easily adapted for your own preferences. Top with fresh chives, veganaise, yogurt, or any other great toppings. Serves 4 Ingredients: 1-14.5oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained1 cup sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed½ cup gluten-free rolled oats¼ cup nutritional yeast½ yellow onion, finely diced½ cup fresh parsley,

Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

This chili is based off a chili from the restaurant Hard Times Cafe in Alexandria, Va. Textured soy protein is a great addition that creates tiny chunks of soy. These chunks almost look like meat chunks that can be great at fooling any meat lover. Leaving the chili to cool overnight is not mandatory, but it does taste better after leaving it to cure. 

Vietnamese Salad

4 Easy & Healthy Lunch Salads

These salads are all super quick and easy to make ahead of time to make the busy weekday mornings a bit more manageable. Feel free to make each of these salads your own!

Mini Eggplant Lasagnas

Mini Eggplant Lasagnas

These mini eggplant lasagnas are a perfect healthy way to hit that spot for some comforting pasta dish. They are also super easy to make and look like you took a lot of time to make it. You can also serve it with a nice side salad if you wish for a little more on the plate. 

Corn and Bean Tacos

Corn and Green Bean Tacos

The lightness of the corn in these tacos makes it perfect for a warm spring or summer night. It makes a great healthy treat when you need it. Make it your own by adding your favorite toppings.

Curried Noodles

Thai Curried Egg Noodles

Serves 6 Ingredients: 2 tsp. coconut oil 2 large shallots, chopped ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro stems, plus 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish 2 Tbs. greem Thai curry paste 1 tsp. curry powder 1 tsp. ground turmeric 1 15-oz. can light coconut milk ¾ cup low-sodium vegetable broth 1 12-oz. pkg. firm tofu,

Potato and Leek Soup

Potato and Leek Soup

This a perfect soup to have on a cold evening that is both light and filling. The soup is so smooth it makes a perfect accompaniment with some flatbread or cheese bread. Add a side salad to help bring in some freshness to the plate. 

Quinoa and Beet Salad

Pink Beet and Quinoa Salad

This salad is perfect for a side dish with some roasted tofu or baked chicken. It’s light and vibrant with its pink color from the beets. It is both quick and easy to cook up and store making it an ideal meal prep recipe for lunches for the week. 

Mushroom Three Ways

Stuffed Mushrooms Three Ways

Pesto Egg Scramble Ingredients: 8 mini bella mushrooms coconut oil 6 eggs ½ cup almond milk 2 Tbs pesto ½ bunch kale, chopped 4 Tbs nutritional yeast Directions: In a medium bowl scramble eggs, milk, pesto, kale, and nutritional yeast and set aside. Prep mushrooms by washing and removing the stems. In a medium frying

Potatoes Two Ways

Potatoes Two Ways

  Serves 4 Ingredients: 4 medium russet potatoes 1 cup drained marinated artichoke hearts, oil reserved, hearts halved or quartered if large 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced 1/2-inch thick (1 cup) 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (1 cup) 6 Tbs nutritional yeast, divided 1 Tbs kefir milk 1 Tbs herbs de providence 1 Tbs

Moroccan Cauliflower and Tofu

Moroccan Cauliflower Salad with Citrus Tofu

  Serves 4 Ingredients: extra-firm tofu, completely drained ½ cup orange juice ¼ cup gluten free soy sauce 1 Tbs coconut sugar 1 Tbs minced fresh ginger 1 Tbs sunflower seed oil 2 tsp Sriracha 2 cloves garlic, thickly sliced 2 Tbs avocado oil 1 Tbs rice vinegar 1½ cups cauliflower, blended into rice sized

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

What could be better in fall then pumpkin muffins? Pumpkin cream cheese muffins! Even better is that this recipe uses neufchatel cheese is similar to cream cheese with the taste and texture but with 1/3 less of the fat it actually is a lot healthier than cream cheese. You can find it next to the normal cream cheese in almost any grocery store. Feel free to add some toasted pumpkin seeds on top for an added crunch.

Acorn Squash Rice Bowl

Acorn Squash Rice Bowl

This is the perfect upgrade to a risotto. The squash and fig combine beautifully to add just a hint of sweetness. Its a great dish to spice up any dinner party and since most of the time spent is watching it cook its easier to make than it might appear. 

Halloween Treats

Raw & Vegan Halloween Treats

Raw Pumpkin Cheesecake Makes about 24 bites Ingredients: 1½ cups raw cashews 1 cup pitted dates ½ cup almond flour 1 tbsp unsweetened cacao powder 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp almond milk ⅓ cup maple syrup ⅓ cup canned pumpkin ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg Directions: Soak the cashews in water for 1 hour. Discard the water. Pulse

Cauliflower Margarita Pizza

Cauliflower Margarita Pizza

This pizza is so light and tasty you wont be thinking you are eating pizza at all. It also wont make you feel bloated like other pizzas. If I had to create my own pizza at a restaurant this would be my take on a margarita pizza. Feel free to add your own toppings or change up the toppings below (nutitional facts below are based on crust and toppings below).

Mushroom Risotto

Portabella Mushroom Risotto

  Serves 6 Ingredients: 6 Tbs sunflower seed oil 4 large portabella mushrooms, diced 1 cup diced yellow onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 1½ cups Arborio rice 4 cups vegetable stock 1 cup white wine ½ cup crumbled goat cheese ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup kale, chopped salt and pepper Directions: In

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp

This is an absolutely delicious dessert that is super easy to make and perfect for fall. Everyone will love this especially with a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Carrot Gazpacho

Carrot Gazpacho with Simple Kale and Spinach Salad

This gazpacho is both healthy and refreshing with a slight kick of heat. The salad on top adds to the flavor and makes it an all encompassing dish. Adding roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds is another great addition to the meal. It is also super easy to make and perfect for a variety of tastes.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

This recipe is super quick and easy and perfect for a summer barbecue or a picnic. It can also be made up a head of time and reheated before eating. It combines the flavors of a deviled egg with the potatoes for a surprisingly fresh taste.

Chickpea Succotash

Chickpea Succotash with Lemongrass

This Chickpea Succotash is absolutely delicious and perfect over some fresh cooked quinoa. The mix of flavors between the lemongrass and the tomatoes make a great combination of flavors while keeping the dish light and fresh.

Raw Kale Market Salad

This super easy salad is perfect for a quick dinner or for lunch prep for the next day. If you want to add something extra, simply add in some quinoa, beans, or rice.

Pineapple Curry

Pineapple and Green Curry Over Cauliflower Rice

This is the perfect recipe for a summer curry. The lightness of this recipe makes you forget its hot and has all the taste you could possibly want. It also wont make you feel too full after you eat which is a huge plus. 

Arepas with Guacamole, Plums, and Lentils

Gluten Free Arepas with Guacamole, Lentils, and Plums

The sweet plums combined with the hearty arepas and lentils give this dish a wonderful combination of flavors. This is a perfect dish for the whole family with no additional sides needed. Its relatively easy to make as well making it fun for kids to help out with. Feel free to add your own spin with your favorite ingredients.

Tofu Scramble Tacos

Tofu Scramble Tacos

These tacos are perfect for any meal and super easy to whip up for the whole family. If you need to make something for the meat lovers, cook up some chicken on the side. The flavors in this dish however should do the trick on its own to make any meat lover think differently about tofu.

Almond Cake

Light Strawberry Almond Cake

With birthdays, holidays, and picnics one thing can almost always be found; sweets. This cake is so light in taste and consistency you won’t feel guilty for eating it. It is almost a cross between a strawberry shortcake and a vanilla pound cake. Perfect for any summer gathering. 

Cherry Goat Cheese Frittata

Chickpea Cherry Frittata

With summer comes tons of delicious outside brunches. This is a perfect recipe for such an occasion. It’s light and pairs perfectly with yogurt, fruit, and other delicious brunch pairings. The chickpeas also add as a lovely delicious surprise and pairs perfectly with the sweet cherries. 

Vegetable Puttanesca

Vegetable Sweet Potato and Beet Puttanesca

This is a fantastic dish to fill you up on a deliciously healthy and hearty meal. The vegetable spiraled pasta allow you to eat the pasta for lunch or dinner without worrying about the carbs from typical pasta. It is a great spin on a puttanesca pasta that will want you to eat it all week. It is also a great dish for kids to eat their veggies without the overpowering taste of them. 

Picnic Veggie Sandwiches

Picnic Perfect Veggie Sandwiches

These veggie sandwiches are perfect for a picnic or even lunch meal prep throughout the week. They are super delicious with jam packed flavor. You could even add a bit of cheese if you desire. Serve with some chips or yuca fries for a complete meal.

Zucchini Fritters

Potato Zucchini Fritters

These fritters are super easy to make and great for those remaining items you have in your fridge. Simply add some coconut yogurt on top, some extra veggies or tofu on the side and you have a quick delicious meal in minutes. You could also add some chicken on the side for the non veggie heads.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

This sun-dried tomato pesto sauce is a great spin to any pasta. The almost sweet taste of the tomatoes make it an irresistible dinner. Feel free to put your own spin on it with some cheese and your favorite veggies. Adding some squash is a delicious addition.

Kale Butternut Squash Noodles

Kale Butternut Squash Noodles

  Serves 4 Ingredients: 12 cups sweet potato and beets, spiraled into noodles 3 large eggs, beaten 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated Salt and pepper 1 Tbs Sunflower oil 5 oz. jackfruit, curry flavored 2 cloves garlic 8 cups kale, chopped Directions: Boil water in a large pot. Add noodles to water and cook,

Zucchini Gratin

Zucchini Gratin

This is a great side dish to make along with some vegan sausages or a lentil and kale salad. It is super easy to make and absolutely delicious. It is also quite light since it isn’t loaded with potatoes like a normal gratin. The added nutritional yeast into the breadcrumbs add a cheesy crunchy element to the dish.

Cranberry Nut Bread

Cranberry Nut Bread

This bread makes a great breakfast or afternoon treat. It is great accompanied by a nice cup of hot tea and some fruit spreads. Try some apricot or peach spread for an extra delicious treat. Feel free to mix up the fruit and nuts with others of your choice.

Jambalaya Risotto

Cajun Jambalaya Risotto

What is better than risotto? How about a jambalaya/risotto mix. That is exactly what this recipe is and it is so easy to make. As with any risottos, this recipe takes time to make but is completely worth it in the end and not extremely complex in the end. This also makes a great meal prep recipe to store and reheat later in the week.

Broccoli Vegballs

Broccoli Vegballs

These meatballs or shall we say vegballs are absolutely delicious. Simply cook up some spiraled vegetable noodles (for example butternut squash or zucchini) or even some spaghetti squash. Pop in the vegballs and add a simple tomato or pesto sauce on top and bam you have a full healthy gluten free vegetarian dinner for the whole family.

Quick and Easy Maple Granola

Granola makes a great snack or addition to salads and yogurt. It can be difficult to find a good glutenfree one too, but this recipe is delicious and super quick and easy to make. It is also easy to make your own depending on your taste preferences, but this is just what I enjoy.

Healthy Potato Salad with Fresh Herb Sauce

Potato salad is a classic for BBQs, picnics, lunches, and parties of all kinds. It is known for being super easy to cook up and this recipe really is no different. It does however is healthier than most in the fact that it does not use any mayonnaise and thus also keeps it vegan friendly.

Easy Croquettes

Easy Vegetable Croquettes

Croquettes make a great appetizer for a dinner party, a great picnic lunch, or even just a great dinner with a lovely side or rice or beans. This recipe is super easy to cook up and tastes delicious. Add a bit of veganaise, chives, lemon zest, or anything else to enhance the delicious flavor and make it a bit of your own. You can also store these in the refrigerator for later meals if need be.

Rice Noodle Spinach Salad

Rice Noodle Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing

This salad is super quick and easy to make and filled with great flavors and veggies. You can even mix up other vegetables in to the salad to make it personal to you. I personally love this salad with spinach and sometimes a bit of kale, especially to add a bit more protein, but you can replace that with lettuce for a more traditional thai salad.

Eggplant Shakshouka

This is yet another warm dish perfect for cold winter nights. The olives and eggplant gives a little Mediterranean spin on this recipe and makes it absolutely scrumptious. You can prepare and serve them in mini french ovens for a cleaner and easier presentation.

New Years Party Apps

New Years Party Appetizer Ideas

It’s almost the New Year and as most other do to celebrate that mean lots of guests and lots of food. Most of the time instead of doing dinner I simply like to make appetizers or snack food for my guests to enjoy. Here are 3 quick and easy healthy recipes to make all of your guests happy.

Raw Lasagna and Asparagus

Holiday Dinner Ideas

It can be hard to cook for a large group for the holidays while also staying healthy and not missing out on the flavor. Below are some great recipes for a delicious, healthy, vegetarian (or easily substituted vegan), and gluten free course dinner. Its surprisigly filling that you will be stuffed to the last fork full.

Vegan Chili

Vegan Polenta Chili

As a substitute for ground meat, this recipe uses polenta to give it that similar texture. The recipe in general is quite hearty with bit of a spice. It is a perfect recipe for those cold, windy winter nights. It doesn’t take tremendously long to cook, making it a great choice for a middle of the week recipe for dinner. You can add you’re own favorite cheese, however I personally love the flavor of the vegan shredded pepper jack.

Cinnamon Oat Bars

Winter Cinnamon Oat Bars

These oat bars make a great snack to refuel and reenergize your body. They are super easy and quick to make while also being absolutely delicious. You can substitute your favorite ingredients into them easily to make them fit your tastes.

Apple Muffins and Kale Smoothie

Post Thanksgiving Breakfast

With the amount of food consumed on Thanksgiving you may want something light for breakfast the next morning, especially with a house full of guests. How about making some smoothies and muffins for everyone? The muffins can be made a head of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer until needed. This allows you to sleep in and not need to dirty up anymore dishes post Thanksgiving. Making up a few light and refreshing smoothies can make a great treat for anyone to enjoy.

Thanksgiving Sides 2016

Thanksgiving Vegetarian Sides

Sometimes Thanksgiving Dinner can be difficult for someone to eat healthy and be a vegan, vegetarian, and/or gluten free. Here are three super easy, quick, and delicious sides that make perfect healthy accompianments to any Thanksgiving feast. Try them for yourselves and put your own spin on things to fit with your other sides and tastes.

Chai Pumpkin Oatmeal

This is a super tasty oatmeal recipe that is perfect for a nice fall morning. Soaking the oats overnight make it super quick to make up the next morning. You can also keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days if you want to prep some for the week.

Leek and Mushroom Pizza

Leak and Mushroom Pizza with Pumpkin Pesto Sauce

These pizzas are perfect for a quick and easy weekend lunch. It is super tasty and easy to make. Feel free to make your own pesto or pizza crust to make it your own. You could also add additional toppings like red onion or nuts, but I think it tastes great as is.

Halloween Featured

Halloween Meal Ideas

What’s better the celebrating the spooky nights of Halloween with friends? How about some delicious meal ideas for any adult Halloween party or dinner. Start with some lovely appetizers including these chipotle cheese topped bats, then enjoy some delicious red pepper soup, and followed by the hearty bean compote.

Quinoa 3 Ways

Quinoa 3 Ways

Quinoa is extremely versatile and super easy to make. I especially love having some warm quinoa in the fall and winter since it tends to have that hearty feel to it. Here are some easy ways to add some delicious quinoa to any of your favorite meals. I used tricolor quinoa however feel free to make it your own.

Zucchini Verde Chilaquiles

Zucchini Verde Chilaquiles

This a great recipe for when you want to make something a little different for a great party, while still being delicious and healthy. Its also a great alternative for nachos. You can also make it your own by adding some topping to it, so play around and be creative.

Raw Vegan Morning Seed Bars

These bar are super filling and delicious. They make the perfect breakfast meal with some fruit and or yogurt. They are also full of healthy goodness that will keep you energized for the day. You can substitute the dried cherries for cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips, or really anything to make them more fitted for you.

Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Buddha Bowl

Buddha bowls are filled with natural, healthy, and delicious ingredients and this recipe is no exception. It is jam packed with protein and carbs making it a perfect post workout meal. It is also super easy to make and can be made in larger batches and saved in the refrigerator making it an easy meal prep meal.

Summer Veg Zucchini Pasta

Summer Vegetable Zucchini Pasta

This recipe will make your kitchen smell delicious and is super easy to make. It also makes a great family meal or can be saved in the fridge for lunches later in the week. There might be some water build up the longer it sits, but just pour it out before reheating the pasta. You can add any of you favorite vegetables to personalize for you and your family too.